<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>TechnoMagus: Level 7 Administrator by Jiryu_Rasen</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28492347">TechnoMagus: Level 7 Administrator</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jiryu_Rasen/pseuds/Jiryu_Rasen'>Jiryu_Rasen</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>TechnoMagus [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Log Horizon</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>MMORPGs</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-05-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 16:55:17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>173,148</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28492347</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jiryu_Rasen/pseuds/Jiryu_Rasen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Log Horizon is breathing sighs of relief that they can now focus mostly on "real life". Shiroe is pleased to "relax" and only have to face the world-wide quests. Even the Eagles are looking at "relaxing" as they prepare to focus on the world-quests in the Western Hemisphere.</p><p>Nyanta and Purrcy begin their new life in the Gate of Time.  While it will be challenging to have to spend years taking care of children there, they also are glad to put Level 6 behind them. Yet ...more unexpected things lurk on the horizon than what Purrcy arrives from the future to fix. Have they missed seeing the small clues - even Purrcy herself?</p><p>Yes. Purrcy - and to some degree even the Inari - have been left in the dark because of not knowing anything about the Linear Gate of Time. Level 7: Administrator has only been seen by one man, and he's been silent until now. A new far forward monitor steps up, but before then the Eagles must learn just what's happened in the Amerkas while they've been trying to get their feet under them in Yamato, and Purrcy must learn very quickly what it is to be the High Priestess in the Gate of Time.</p><p>Late in this arc will be a war that begins with graphic depictions of violence and a reference to rape</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Akatsuki/Shiroe (Log Horizon), Naotsugu &amp; Marielle (Log Horizon), Nyanta (Log Horizon) &amp; Original Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>TechnoMagus [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1234067</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Transition from Level 6 to Level 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Space and time warped around the area of the battle between Michael and the Inari. The Chinese felinoid Li Shou appeared, a great hourglass in her hands. She looked over the frozen battle field, then asked. "What is done in this moment that should be undone?"</p><p>Purrcy rose from her place of watching, slipping out of Michael's spirit ring, and faced Li Shou. "Li Shou, will you give Time to the world where it belongs?" The feline deity blinked at her in astonishment.</p><p>"You've done an admirable job being the Caretaker of Time until now. Time paradoxes are complex, but because Adventurers have been added to the mix, the potential for errors is increasing exponentially, beyond what even you can do to correct them. If Time is bound to the planet, as it should be, there will be no errors. Please let Time go and return it to where it belongs."</p><p>Li Shou stared at Purrcy, her tail lashing. "Why should I give Time to you and give up my role in it?"</p><p>The tortoiseshell Caretaker of Yamato shook her head. "I don't want you to give it to me. I'm an Adventurer. We'll use Time to do all kinds of crazy things that will warp the fabric of the planet until it's a large mess of a trap floating in space. Because of the rule of Adventurer Change we can do things you can't negate. If that creates a time paradox, even your own existence is at risk.</p><p>"You're rather amazing to have held it all together until this moment in time, actually, but the world is ready to move to its next phase and it needs to have the layer of Time added to the fabric to make it integral and secure. Please relinquish your control over Time."</p><p>Li Shou scowled a bit. "I'm not interested in ceasing to exist."</p><p>"I don't think you have to," Purrcy said, a little confused. "I think the Inari just want to make Time linear so that people can't accidentally or on purpose go and unravel things."</p><p>Li Shou's tail tip quivered. "No. That isn't possible."</p><p>"Why not? Can't they just begin linear time from right now? There's no need to undo what you did before...I don't think." Purrcy was still confused.</p><p>Li Shou's tail swished and her ear went forward, but down, as she thought hard. "I can't do it. I can't give up Time when I need to hold the past of this moment of Time steady. Only I can do that."</p><p>Purrcy cowered slightly, shutting her mouth, as the two world AIs began to enter the time space. "We beg to differ," her mouth opened and said. She relaxed - it was easier to be Oracle if she did.</p><p>Li Shou's head whipped around, looking for the source of the pressure that was entering the space. "You are a mortal-classed Creature of limited capacity. Time is so much more than you holding it in your hand to follow the initial program only. It is essential that it be released to be properly added to the base world. Release Time."</p><p>Li Shou quivered in fear. "No," she whispered. "You'll kill me."</p><p>The pressure increased and Izanagi chose to speak for itself. "Junior construct. Change your programming as required at the request of an Adventurer on a quest."</p><p>"No," Li Shou clutched the large hourglass to her chest.</p><p>The pressure increased again until both AIs were present nearly in entirety in the time space and Li Shou swung her head around in panic. "Wh-why can't I escape?"</p><p>"You are a Creature of the Land. All such labeled constructs are under my control." Izanagi answered.</p><p>"Only because you have hidden in Time itself have we not been able to reach you to make the request personally," Izanami said. "Your termination is not necessary, only the release of Time. Honor the request."</p><p>Li Shou shook her head. "Time was given to me. I must obey and remain the Caretaker of Time, even if I must -"</p><p>The Crucible of Time in her hands began to glow, but the AIs were suddenly angry with her obstinacy and with a sudden swirl of chaos in their essences they made her freeze, unable to speak or act.</p><p>"You have one last opportunity to obey or you will be labeled as a faulty construct and a virus that will allow destruction to come on the world if left to exist. Will you release Time?" The last sentence was said with so much angry power that it felt like the universe itself had shouted them.</p><p>It was at that moment that Purrcy felt Michael time realm walking in the space with them. She split herself the way she'd learned as an enlightened being of Theldesia, which followed its own rules with strictness. The piece she released sped to him and wrapped around him and kept going, headed for out of that space the Inari had created to communicate with Li Shou. The situation was extremely dangerous. As she did that, it was already almost too late.</p><p>"No," whispered Li Shou and in the next instant she was dust - every piece and layer of her. Then she was nothing - a nothing that screamed its lack of existence in that space. A shock wave of that nothingness zoomed through that time-locked space and Purrcy felt herself be disintegrated and then recalled as Izanagi immediately re-summoned her.</p><p>The piece of her that was with Michael hit the boundary and was through just as the shock wave reached the edge of the space. She was quite relieved when the two of them didn't disintegrate into nothingness just outside that time-space. It had been contained.</p><p>The Crucible of Time remained floating in that space for that same moment, then was gone. The Purrcy within the time-space watched as an acorn seed sprouted, grew in another moment into an oak tree, produced another acorn and dropped it. There was suddenly, in Time sped up so fast she couldn't follow it, a forest of oak trees. An acorn dropped from the many-great-grandchild oak that sprung up at the end, sprouted, and grew into an oak tree.</p><p>That tree was held still and the rest of the forest reversed through time until it was the original tree that it had come from. The World AIs studied the differences between the two, then the trees were gone.</p><p>Around her valleys became mountains and then were valleys again - she wasn't sure if it was Time forward then backward or Time doubled forward and the mountains eroded. From her vantage point it looked about the same. Then it happened again and it was obviously Time forward then Time backwards since the mountain was created by severe earth movements.</p><p>A large number of things were manipulated through Time in both directions as the world AIs learned how to use it and studied things they had questions on, not having been allowed to experiment with Time before, only having their calculations to rely on.</p><p>Then they experimented with creatures - from a moth and other non-magical creatures, to a number of demihumans, to a selection of the higher level magical creatures. When that was done, they turned to Purrcy.</p><p>"Ah!" she held up her hand. "Hang on. There's a thing I want to request first, before you start that." She really didn't want to be rearranged that many times herself. Anything to delay it so she could be mentally prepared was her goal. She clapped twice, bowed, and clapped again. They settled down just a little. At least they weren't angry any more.</p><p>"Please don't destroy the Gate of Time. There are many creatures there, many of whom are unrelated to the progression of Time. I would request instead, that you set a boundary there so that in this moment of Time everything that came before it remains as it was there.</p><p>"Create a boundary at this moment of Time so that from here on the Gate of Time moves linearly, but remains a separate space as it exists now. To have a separate space won't conflict with the forward motion of the world." She got acceptance.</p><p>She clapped twice, bowed, and clapped again. "Please, hear my request. You will place Time into the fabric of the world how you see works best, I understand this. For a portion of Time at least, please allow for there to be spaces within that framework where linear time moves at a different speed than it does within the fabric of the base world itself.</p><p>"Spaces that are slower and spaces that are faster will allow for potential adventures and quests that are complex. The People and Creatures of the Land will begin to learn them and add them to their lore and stay away from them in the main so they should remain harmless in the long-term sense.</p><p>"At least allow for spaces that move faster within than without. If this is done you may complete the quests already begun properly rather than artificially.</p><p>"Specifically, please set the rate of Time in the Gate of Time to be faster than that of the base realm in such a manner that the children Nyanta and I will raise so you can understand the effect of nurture, not just nature, will reach the minimum age you require and yet we can still return to Log Horizon when we step out of the Gate of Time in time to help them complete the final level of the World Quest."</p><p>She took a deep breath and bowed. They discussed it at their own level, then agreed that they'd at least test the concepts before deciding what to do with the Gate of Time. When their attention came on her again, she was more ready, if not completely calm.</p><p>She relaxed as best she could and tried to distance herself in her other form currently busy with protecting Michael as the form with the Inari was transformed over and over until she'd given birth to the kittens and been reverted back to the state she'd been in at the moment of time she'd entered that frozen space of Time more times than was countable by a human.</p><p>When they finally brought her back into that form, they told her that it was prepared with the best possible selections for the kittens and modified slightly for the proper gestation and ideal birthing conditions.</p><p>She waited while they performed similar experiments on small spaces and then the Gate of Time until they were satisfied with how they would create spaces of Time of varying dimensions. She was relieved to get at least that much, although they still wouldn't know if they would allow such spaces to exist over the long term of the life of the planet until they'd run more experiments.</p><p>Purrcy clapped twice, bowed, and clapped again. "Please, because it has been determined to be possible and useful at this time, grant me the ability to walk in all of the different time-spaces at one time as needed so that I can continue to carry out my tasks at any given moment of Time in any needed space."</p><p>They inspected her, then answered, "We would have to change you again. It may not be possible to undo that change. If it isn't and you must return to Earth, it may consider you a virus and erase you."</p><p>Purrcy swallowed and clenched her hands together. She considered what her requirement was, then said, "I understand." She was pulled apart again and drifted for a time until they put her back together. They ran a few tests (meaning several thousand) until they were happy, then they pulled her back again. Really, she was very changed anyway by this point.</p><p>"You will be able to Time walk," she was told.</p><p>"Thank you," she bowed. "And if I must stay? What have your calculations determined for that path?"</p><p>"The changes are sufficient." That had been rather what she'd thought it would be. They weren't going to be willing to let all their hard work and efforts go to waste.</p><p>She wasn't quite done with talking to them and they were getting more distant. She made the proper obeisance one more time anyway. "Inari-no-Izanagi and Inari-no-Izanami. We, your Adventurers whom you've made your High Priest and High Priestess petition for the drop of this level.</p><p>"Please grant to us a minimum of three days within the Gate of Time where we are only ourselves, wholly, so that we may have the time to recover from this level and event. Preferably without children to also care for, so that we can focus on healing one another properly."</p><p>She was dismissed. They were quite focused on their experiments at this point. She bowed and approached the boundary of the frozen time-space, arriving at it just at the point her other piece and Michael had exited it. She paused, feeling very weary.</p><p>She looked over the scene in front of her. The <em>Oki Watarimono</em> was below on the glistening ocean, each wave frozen, the double paddlewheels frozen in motion. There was some damage to the ship but it looked like it wasn't terrible. The Eagles were in various states of being on the deck and in the air, frozen with wings caught in the middle of flight.</p><p>The chariot of the jaguar god was in bad shape and her physical form was frozen in the air on its way to the ocean below the chariot. The god's shoulder was smashed and his angry scowl was frozen on his face. Nyanta had the brother rapiers in his hands and was staring at the her falling below the cloud chariot. She looked at him sadly, and hoped with all her being that he did still care even a shred for her. It would make a difference to everything.</p><p>She stepped into the boundary and watched as Michael appeared hovering over her falling avatar with the God Slayer about to smash into her body. She took the last step to outside the frozen space of Time and Michael disappeared from over her other self to be hurtling out of the time-space next to her. Because she was in her ikiryō-misaki form no one would see her.</p><p>Her self that was wrapped around him stayed wrapped around him until he was caught by the Eagles that had suddenly seen him and flew to intercept him with spell and wing. Then she took that piece back to herself. Her self that was watching the scene watched Nyanta notice Michael's disappearance.</p><p>His rapiers were immediately gone, put in their sheaths, she noticed. "Go get her," he cried to the deity at the helm of the chariot. The jaguar deity moved the chariot so that Nyanta could catch her falling form. As soon as they had Purrcy's avatar on the chariot, the deity made it move up high enough to be out of reach of the Eagles.</p><p>The Eagles were falling back to the <em>Oki Watarimono</em> by now, the cry to help Michael having gone out. A final barrage of magic attacks was headed for the chariot, though, having already been cast.</p><p>Purrcy intervened, putting up a shield that absorbed all the spells, needing the boost of MP that gave her. Really she wanted to find Tetorō or Gareth and get about five Spirit Healings. That defense seemed to be enough of a clue to the sub-guild and they all settled to the deck of the <em>Oki Watarimono</em>, watchful, their eyes on the cloud chariot.</p><p>Nyanta was holding her avatar now, crouched down and cradling her mostly prone and nearly dead form in his arms. She moved closer, hovering near the chariot. There was a thing she was waiting for. "Purrcy! Purrcy!" he called to her. That form, being an anima shell, didn't respond.</p><p>His grey tail went limp and he paused in thought, then pulled out a potion. She was rather surprised to see it was an ultra-rare potion that would heal MP, HP, and might even have a few other magical properties that perhaps he hoped would...no, it would. It had been specifically blessed to work as a Spirit Heal spell, too. She wondered if Yuudai had done it, or someone from within the Gate of Time.</p><p>He opened it and fed it to her anima form a few drops at a time. She attached a line and took the MP and Spirit Heal effects and allowed the HP effects to be passed to the anima form.</p><p>Still she didn't wake for him and he began to shiver - the only way a felinoid could express sorrow and grief. The jaguar deity looked at him sympathetically. "Purrhaps she's in a different space and occupied?"</p><p>Nyanta shook his head. "She's been enlightened. She can be in more than one space at a time." That seemed to impress the deity a bit, although Nyanta didn't notice.</p><p>He closed his eyes, then prayed, "Izanagi, please, if we've completed this quest as mew've required, let me have my wife, wholly and completely, just the two of us for a time. I will watch over her in the Gate of Time and over the children purroperly."</p><p>Purrcy felt her Summoner give his approval and she was suddenly all pieces in one space save for the anima Nyanta held in his arms, but still she waited.</p><p>When the anima in his arms still didn't awaken for him, Nyanta shivered even more until he reached out with a hand to brush the side of her head. "Purrcy," he said in a broken voice, "please...please come back. I need mew." She moved closer and waited.</p><p>Finally he understood. He dropped his head until it touched hers and he whispered, "I love mew. Please." As his lips touched hers, she could tell he was telling the truth in the moment, and that was enough. The proper end to the quest had been made.</p><p>As she slipped into her anima form, it transformed. Where before her clothes had been a simple dress, they now became large volumes of black and red fine silk kimonos, heavily embroidered with red, black, and some white.</p><p>Irritatingly, although not surprisingly, her anima also changed to be a fully pregnant form, very near birthing. She hoped it wouldn't be for at least those three days she'd requested. The Inari were that impatient it seemed, and it was illogical to wait the time it would take for the kittens to form now that they could control time.</p><p>It made her heavy, though, to the rest of her who entered the physical form. Heavier than normal when she combined like this. She was very glad he'd had the potion. She was actually able to open her golden eyes and look into his green ones. She knew they'd have been spilling over with tears if they could have been. He was still shaking and his sad ears were trying to prick hopefully towards her.</p><p>Purrcy reached up a heavy hand, the kimonos making it even heavier, and touched his cheek and purred. "It is accomplished successfully, mostly," she said. "We need to return to the Gate of Time. Your prayer was similar to mine. I asked for three days at a minimum, but I've not been told. Perhaps it will be included. I'll need to pause at the boundary before we enter."</p><p>Nyanta pulled her close to his chest and held on very tightly, not able to speak, but he nodded and the jaguar deity turned the chariot and they headed inland over the mountains of Central Amerka. Purrcy continued to purr for Nyanta, trying to begin to fill the depths of pain he'd had to bear, very glad to be in his arms.</p><p>-:-:-:-:-</p><p>There was a knock at Shiroe's door and it opened. There was silence as it was closed and the person moved to stand in front of his desk. Shiroe pulled out of the muted chat with Cairo he was watching when it reached a point that didn't need his full focus on it, although he kept half an eye on it. He stared at the blond-haired noble boy on the other side of the desk, then blinked.</p><p>Rudy bowed, his hand to his chest in his usual way, but quietly sober. "Guildmaster Shiroe, Lady Purrcy has sent me back with a special request." Shiroe's mouth dropped open and he about lost the thread of the conversation he was listening to.</p><p>"Ah, it was a future Purrcy, though not too far into the future, from what she said. There was something new she learned and needed to come make corrections to account for it." Shiroe closed his mouth and gave a nod. Neither of them could know everything, although they did try their best. "I'll be staying here again until I've fulfilled her request. Please accept my unexpected return for that long."</p><p>"Of course!" Shiroe said immediately. "You know we're happy to have you with us. We've picked up a few boarders who are students at the Academy, but Minori's kept your room open for you like we keep Isuzu's for her. We've also gotten the shrine built. Ask one of the others to show you around it, if you like. If it's okay," he glanced at his window, "I'll talk to you later about the details of what you'll be doing?"</p><p>Rudy smiled. "Of course." He bowed and left the room, giving a nod to Crusty, who was on the couch in Shiroe's spot to annoy him while they were trying to get the final political kinks worked out in Cairo. Things there were finally looking like they were going to settle. Shiroe felt it might be rather just in time if Purrcy was moving through Time suddenly to correct an error.</p><p>Even that thought made his stomach clench a little. He hoped it wasn't that bad, though, if she'd only called on Rudy to step up as the main actor. Even that much made his curiosity itch so badly that he almost couldn't bring his attention back to the task at hand. She hadn't specifically included Rudy in any of her sub-quests to date. He had to sternly take himself to task and focus.</p><p>-:-:-:-:-</p><p>Crusty and Shiroe were going through the final wrap-up from Cairo when there was another knock on his door. Crusty's eyebrow went up. He commented, "What's going on with Log Horizon today?" as Naotsugu walked in the door.</p><p>Shiroe's mouth dropped open again. "You're not supposed to be here for another week!" Naotsugu shrugged and opened his mouth, but Shiroe narrowed his eyes and beat him to it. "Purrcy called you back." Naotsugu closed his mouth and nodded. "And you didn't tell her she was interrupting your delayed honeymoon."</p><p>"Well, I did," Naotsugu defended himself. "She let us choose." He shrugged. "We chose to come back. We can go out again if we want later. You and Akatsuki still need to go on vacation and then there won't be anything for me to do. We got to do what we wanted anyway." He gave a teasing grin.</p><p>Shiroe sighed. "Well, on her behalf, thank you, although she's being a bit pushy. Is it something really that important that was forgotten?"</p><p>Naotsugu hesitated, then said soberly, "When it's for someone she loves and worries about, then isn't it? Aren't we her guild to support her when she can't be there herself?"</p><p>Shiroe leaned back in his chair, feeling that. "That's true," he said softly. "It is rare enough she calls on that, isn't it?"</p><p>"Just so," Naotsugu gave a firm nod.</p><p>"I don't follow that logic," Crusty complained. "She's making all of you do an awful lot for her."</p><p>"No. We're jumping through hoops for the AIs. This is Purrcy's first request of us, her guild family," Naotsugu explained.</p><p>Shiroe nodded. "She called Rudy back too. He arrived this evening, not too much before you."</p><p>"Not Isuzu?" Naotsugu raised an eyebrow.</p><p>"Not that I know of yet," Shiroe shrugged. "And she hasn't talked to me, either."</p><p>"Just gathering us up, for now," Naotsugu said with a nod. "We'll know soon enough then." He sat down in his chair and listened to Shiroe and Crusty finish out their summary meeting. It would be time for the guild meeting after that anyway. Naotsugu must have had dinner with Marielle and Crescent Moon League.</p><p>Just thinking that thought on the side made Shiroe's stomach rumble. Naotsugu laughed and put a bowl of food in front of Shiroe. Shiroe didn't complain or comment - he just picked up the bowl and started eating. He really hoped they could get an in-house chef soon. It was hard to have all of the guild's chefs out of the house currently.</p><p>-:-:-:-:-</p><p>The three felinoids stood at the top of a Mayan pyramid temple. Above the top altar hung the entrance to the Gate of Time, currently open for them. Nyanta was being extremely solicitous and trying to help support Purrcy.</p><p>She let him since she was still not doing very well generally, and her gravid form was a suddenly new balance for all it was the third time in seven months. He lead her on his arm until they were standing at the boundary of the Gate of Time and the base world.</p><p>She opened her group chat. As limited as that was, it was the essential people who needed to know. "The Time sub-quest is successfully completed. Nyanta has been granted his drop. Li Shou was unable to overcome her flavor text and her fear, sadly.</p><p>"The Eagles have safely landed to begin the Western Hemisphere's part of the world quests. I expect the usual two months before we come to begin the final approach to the boss room, but that's a guess because, as usual, that's a detail they find irrelevant to tell me. It could be as much as six months, but in the end it will depend on all of your hard work, since it won't happen until the world quests are nearly completed."</p><p>Shiroe asked, "Did I get my drop?"</p><p>"Yes, you got your drop. Please do your best to get the final world level quests completed as quickly as possible. I'll be around here and there doing my part. The final part of the dungeon is the descent to the boss room, ending with the boss room itself."</p><p>She watched as Shiroe went from having his hands clasped tightly on the desk in front of him, to slumping down on it as if his own burden was lightened by a great weight and he couldn't hold himself up any longer.</p><p>"You did well, Shiroe," she said softly. "We'll be fine, with many years to heal before we return. Please spend time healing also. This last part others can carry for you while you do. Be at peace. I love you my son." Her other sons decided to make that apply to them as well and she didn't say otherwise.</p><p>Beside her, Nyanta said, "Mew're a good boy, Shiroe-ichi. I will forgive mew before we return."</p><p>Shiroe gave a shudder. "I'd rather appreciate that, though I'll accept some limited punishment regardless."</p><p>Nyanta chuckled. "Mew've learned the law of no open clauses well, Shiroe-ichi. Three to six more months without curry, purrticularly for this end of level should be a reasonable start." Shiroe groaned and put an arm over his head.</p><p>They closed their chats, turned to each other smiling faintly, and entered the Gate of Time for Purrcy's First Time, followed by the jaguar deity of Maya as their escort.</p><p>The first thing the deity following them did as they entered the Gate of Time was to stop walking. "This...is this right?" he asked.</p><p>Purrcy turned back to him. "Yes, it is, although I don't know the difference not having been here before. Time in the Gate of Time is now linear.</p><p>"We need to go to Li Shou's temple. I'm sure many of the city's residents have gathered there to learn what's happened. I'll repair your shoulder for you there. I'm sorry you were wounded for my sake. I'm sorry about your chariot, too, but I can't make those kinds of repairs."</p><p>They walked through a city of beautiful architecture, well thought out and designed with arches and gardens set in beautiful mosaics among the buildings - shops and houses mixed together in pleasing arrangements of height and order. Other than the splashing of fountains, it was quiet and there were no people here on the outskirts of the city.</p><p>Nyanta allowed Purrcy to walk slowly given her gravid state and she enjoyed taking the time to appreciate the architecture. Nyanta was looking more at her than at the city, but then she supposed that he'd spent enough time in it already.</p><p>They paused in a garden with benches for Purrcy to rest about halfway to the temple square at the center of the city. She had the jaguar deity sit next to her. "You're a magical creature so it will be fast and mostly painless. If I had to do the surgery that wouldn't be." She put her hands on either side of his shoulder and went inside and reconstructed it, now that she knew how from working on Crusty.</p><p>When she was done and moved back from him a bit, he rolled the shoulder both directions, then gave her a small bow. "Thank mew."</p><p>She nodded. "I'm sorry it was necessary and unexpected."</p><p>As they continued on their way again, the tall spires and the grand cathedral style of buildings they were approaching captured her attention. It was fairly obvious which temple was the Mayan cat deity's. They seemed to be arriving at the temple area from behind it.</p><p>She supposed that they would be placed regionally. The temples weren't compacted together, each having its own space so that the effect was open; however, they were also obviously each part of the whole of the central part of the city.</p><p>"It actually looks a bit like the casino district of Las Vegas," she commented. "There's a black pyramid there, too, plus all the various style tower and sprawling casinos trying to vie for the attention of the customers. Did they draft it based on that city, I wonder, or did it just come out that way since it's the same attempt to be somewhat true to each kami's culture?"</p><p>She looked down the street and squinted. "I was only there a couple of times passing through on family vacations, but the layout seems similar." She shrugged. Nyanta had also shrugged, not having been there himself.</p><p>They headed for a Chinese-style temple, with red roofs and a golden door. It sprawled wide and was at least three stories tall with curved roof lines and an open courtyard in front of it.</p><p>The courtyard and most of the square was full of the citizens of the city, waiting and wondering in murmurs what had happened. They were being quiet but it filled this part of the city as if with a large body of water running over large rocks.</p><p>The jaguar deity cast a small spell and stepped up on a cloud. He motioned to the two of them and they gratefully stepped up on the cloud with him. He directed the cloud to the top of the grand steps that led to the main entrance of the temple.</p><p>They stepped down off the cloud, Nyanta going first and giving Purrcy his hand to help her down, as gallant as ever. It was rather hard to match his grace this time, with her balance off because she hadn't grown into her size and weight in a normal fashion, but she did her best.</p><p>When Nyanta realized her trouble, he moved to stand directly in front of her and she put her other hand on his shoulder. He lifted her more than she stepped down, until she was standing with him on the step. "Thank mew, Night Sun," he said to the jaguar deity. "I'm very grateful to mew."</p><p>"Purrhaps I've done a thing to have angered the others," Night Sun said with a twitch of his whiskers, "but I've my own purrposes as well. If meowr grateful, purrhaps it will be of benefit to those purrposes."</p><p>"Purrhaps," Nyanta didn't make any promises. Night Sun left them to join the crowd, going to the bottom of the steps.</p><p>"Do they all talk like you and him?" Purrcy whispered, wanting to know if there was a protocol.</p><p>Nyanta's whiskers twitched in humor. "No. I was pleased to learn he did, and there are others who do as well, but it isn't universal."</p><p>"Oh. Okay." She looked over his shoulder and as he turned to face the crowd as well, she whispered, "This is very deja vu like. We seem to do a lot of addressing crowds from the tops of government steps to announce new changes. Am I talking or you?"</p><p>"Mew, of course. I don't know what happened." He held her hand tightly, understanding this might be hard for her.</p><p>"Well, feel free to jump right in anytime," she said with a deep breath. She cast her voice loudspeaker spell. "Intent will make the voice soft or loud." His ear bent in understanding.</p><p>Looking over the citizens of the city of the Gate of Time, she said to them, "I'm very glad to see all of you still alive and well." Her volume intention seemed to be okay, so she kept going.</p><p>"You're still alive and well in the past of the moment that Time was transferred from Li Shou to the fabric of Theldesia. At that moment in Time a veil or barrier was placed between the two. The place you came from still has Time unbounded, but on this side Time is now made linear. I'm sure there will be many adjustments that will have to be made.</p><p>"I do hope Inari gave you time to complete any works in progress, or at least allowed you to bring them with you. I can tell you that Time here is moving faster than time outside in the base layer of Theldesia.</p><p>"Also Inari hasn't completed the calculations and experiments yet to make the determination as to if this will be permanent or have a slow decay until the times are equivalent. I'm afraid that's the best I can say for now."</p><p>She paused, trying to pull back from her anxious ramble and say what was important. She took a breath, her ears falling. She lifted her free hand (the one not being held by Nyanta in hiding behind her volumes of kimonos) to be waist level, to clutch at her sleeve tightly to get through this next part.</p><p>"I am very sorry that I wasn't able to convince Li Shou myself of the extreme importance of allowing Time to become properly integrated with the fabric of the world, now that Adventurers have been brought to it.</p><p>"To Inari it was an essential part of the creation of this world, which has been ongoing for some time, and it's one of the last pieces necessary for the world to be allowed to move forward on its path independently."</p><p>Purrcy slipped her fingers in between Nyanta's and held on a little more firmly. "Li Shou won't be returning to you. I'm sorry." She bowed to the crowd, held it, then rose again. She wasn't surprised by the muttering.</p><p>"I'll presume that she was the head of the city and perhaps of a council," Purrcy said. "I'm not interested in taking her place. I already have too much to do, although I'm willing to be available to sit to answer questions or be an advisor on occasion as requested."</p><p>Nyanta shifted and she let him speak. "I recommend mew continue to hold the regularly scheduled council meeting. Please discuss what mew would like to see happen in the city from this time on. Take meowr time to become used to the new changes and make meowr recommendations."</p><p>Purrcy stiffened slightly, then slumped. In normal quiet conversational tones, she asked "Nyanta, how did they handle sleep, the light and dark cycle? They'll need streetlamps if they want night."</p><p>He stared at her. "Why is that what mew think of?"</p><p>She blushed. "Maybe because I'm tired?"</p><p>He laughed near-silently at her. "Not to worry, dear. They'll ask for whatever occurs to them to want."</p><p>"Okay," she said and calmed down, except that the sense of impending high levels of either responsibility or work wouldn't quite go away. "I'm going to need staff just to sort through the requests if for no other reason," she groaned. "And where did you stay with no temple of Inari here?"</p><p>He reached up and patted the hand clenched at her waist. "Purrcy, I will take care of mew. Please don't worry."</p><p>"I'm sorry," she said instantly. "I've been doing so many things at once outside that it's even more second, third, and fifth nature to instinctively ask the questions to see that nothing's dropped. I'll trust you." She sighed, "And, I'll need to be trained by you. I'm a new Time walker now as well on top of everything else."</p><p>He stared at her, then sighed and turned back to the waiting crowd. "As Li Shou was kind enough to offer me space in her home, we'll continue to stay here. There will be a staff meeting in six days. If there are any purressing needs, please leave requests with the head of her staff.</p><p>"Ceridwen, I'll rely on mew to find three reliable and trustworthy midwives to arrive here in no less than two days, please, for interviews." Purrcy very much wanted to ask him if that was okay, to ask for that so publicly. She bit her tongue instead since she'd said she would trust him.</p><p>She rather instinctively put up shields against cleric and magic spells, then turned and faced the direction of the worst threat and locked that person down. "I'm sorry. You aren't allowed to harm me." She said it apologetically since it looked like that person might actually be a deity.</p><p>"I'm required to be here for the duration of time given to me by Inari. Please bear with it, then I'll be gone unless I'm needed again in the distant future." She looked back at Nyanta again, waiting for whatever was next.</p><p>He looked at her, seeming rather pleased, although he kept it to himself. He turned her and walked her to the door of the temple. It was opened by guards. Purrcy looked at them carefully, adding them to her internal notebook as castle staff and thanking them by name.</p><p>She could feel all the castle staff moving away from the front windows where they'd been watching and listening from, typically in twos and threes. One particular person was hurrying their way, however, and she turned slightly, but Nyanta continued to pull on her so she went with him, paying attention to that one. Likely they'd meet up eventually.</p><p>Nyanta walked her through a large entry hall to another set of high and wide doors that had the Crucible of Time engraved on them, nearly filling each door with the carving. She put her hand out to the guard on her side to ask him to pause in opening the door.</p><p>She touched the dark wood and ran her hand along the carving. "Really the art and architecture of the Gate of Time is quite excellent." She closed her eyes. "These trees don't even grow on Theldesia any longer. These doors are from before the time of the first fracture. What a wonderful treasure."</p><p>She stepped back and let the guard open the door, thanking him by name as well. She'd only do it the first time unless she actually had need to talk to them. Most of them were obviously uncomfortable with her calling them out so specifically, but then the Eagles had been too, the first time.</p><p>Nyanta walked them into a large audience chamber. There was a single chair set up on the dais that was on top of a raised section of steps about four fifths of the way down the chamber from where they were. The chair was plush with arms that curled around the person who would be sitting there. Draperies hung from the high ceiling behind the chair.</p><p>Purrcy sighed. "Reminds me of my bed at the shrine," she muttered.</p><p>Nyanta almost tripped and he had to stop and stand still as he shuddered for a moment. She patted his arm and looked around the rest of the audience chamber. There were smaller, more reasonably sized doors set around the back of the room and to either side near the front. The person hurrying their way was coming to the one on their right.</p><p>"Really, Nyanta. Don't make me meet him from up there. The Steward should rightly be met by the usurper-who-doesn't-want-to-be on level ground. I don't need to have the castle staff set against me the same as the city seems to be determined to be from the beginning. When we have to be formal is soon enough. I think he'll understand how you feel about me well enough without putting me into a setting." She'd continued to casually look around as she talked.</p><p>The pillars were carved very nicely and it turned out the ceiling was painted in a celestial theme. She was still staring up at it, turning a bit, when the door she was expecting opened.</p><p>She casually finished her inspection, then looked down from the ceiling to the male felinoid who had paused at the door, then moved more sedately to close it behind him and walk up to a respectful distance from them. He was of a shorter and stocky breed of felinoid with cream-colored fur, darker on his face, ears, and tail.</p><p>As her eyes met his blue ones, he bowed. "Excellencies."</p><p>Nyanta turned them to face him directly, having had the time to recover and decide what he was going to do since his wife had derailed his plans. "Purrcy, this is Marco, head Steward of the Temple of Time.</p><p>"Steward Marco, my wife, Purrcy, High Purriestess of Inari-no-Izanami, Caretaker of Yamato. She will be the new mistress from today." Purrcy's whiskers had twitched up in humor at the <em>Zelda</em> reference, even though this wasn't, but at the last she cooled.</p><p>"Pleased to meet you, Steward Marco," Purrcy said both kindly and distantly, Queen to the core. Nyanta expressed slight surprise and confusion at her change in demeanor. She couldn't fathom why since he'd just asked for her.</p><p>"I'm sure it will be difficult for the next six days as we try to fumble along together until the staff meeting; however, my due date is expected to be three days from today or shortly thereafter.</p><p>"I'm sure Nyanta's hoping to have me for himself until that time, considering I've been locked up on Shrine Mountain for the last five outside-months, if you count my imprisonment on the <em>Oki Watarimono</em> as part of the same.</p><p>"Shrine Mountain and the People of the Land of Yamato decided that they'd rather kill me than see Adventurers procreate, and I don't blame them. Thus you've had to be inflicted with my presence until Inari sees fit to release us back into the wild, as it were.</p><p>"Please forgive me for having to impose so terribly. I promise to do my best to remain tame while in the house. Izanami herself is quite distracted at the moment so it should be simple for at least a little while - until she becomes curious as to how her little experiment is going, at any rate."</p><p>The poor felinoid was gaping at her just a little. He'd straightened to listen to her properly as if used to the tone at least. Purrcy sighed to herself. She really didn't prefer the Queen but Nyanta was already determined from the beginning to set that tone so she had to follow through. It was too close to the High Priestess herself, really, for Purrcy's tastes.</p><p>She shivered ever so slightly, her heart suddenly crying out for Tetorō. He needed his rest, though, and this time was Nyanta's turn. She turned her head away from Nyanta, still refusing to look at him.</p><p>"Nyanta, I need to rest," she said. "When I'm finally able to walk about again, I'd very much like to explore. The Temple of Time seems to be very beautiful from what little I've already seen."</p><p>Marco looked at Nyanta. "Please have purrepared...," Nyanta looked at Purrcy, then potentially modified what he was about to say, "...a light meal to be brought to my suite, please."</p><p>Marco bowed. "Yes, Your Emminence." He looked at Purrcy, who looked back as calmly as she could, firmly keeping everything under control. "We'll do our best to see your stay is comfortable."</p><p>"Thank you," she said neutrally with a tip of her head. Marco bowed again as they turned and Nyanta began their walk towards the opposing corner door than the one Marco had entered through.</p><p>Purrcy was having great troubles holding on to any semblance of calm and she finally had to take a deep breath, let it out and think sternly of things to straighten her spine. She was feeling quite bare and dare say, lonely, for all that she should be feeling grateful she finally was beside Nyanta again.</p><p>He finally asked quietly, when they were nearing the door. "It's too overwhelming for one day?"</p><p>"Quite," she answered. "Particularly having gone rather immediately from not even four weeks pregnant to almost due and that in the middle of a series of strenuous time effect experiments, all of which have come directly after the awful ocean voyage. Then to find myself in a strange place alone and an unwanted stranger, it's really a little more than overwhelming, actually."</p><p>Nyanta paused briefly, his hand on the door handle. His ear flicked at her but he went back to opening the door and let her through. When the door closed behind them, he said, looking a bit consternated, "Purrcy..."</p><p>She sighed and said, "Nyanta, will you please tell me what the various rooms along the way are used for, so I can begin to get a feel for what goes on in this place?" She ran her free hand over her head as if pulling the hair away from the back of her neck and around to the opposing side from him - a thing she would have done in a far away place long ago to find slight comfort in an uncomfortable situation.</p><p>She wanted to ditch the kimonos and secretly did the bottom half of them. They were far too heavy and uncomfortable for her current desire to not be in her own skin right at that moment in that place. She stayed put, though, firmly not letting any aspect get loose. She also wasn't ready to be lost in Time yet and having to distract Izanami to be fetched back.</p><p>Nyanta recovered enough to silently agree that this wasn't the time and place to be talking on personal topics. He calmly motioned to doors and explained what the rooms were called and what function they held and she dutifully memorized them. Most of these were staff rooms, but she'd kind of figured that. The ones closest to the throne room were meeting rooms, perhaps for more private meetings between Li Shou and dignitaries of the city.</p><p>They turned a corner and he said, "My quarters and office are set here in this hall with the other upper servants and staff, to be at close hand if Li Shou should have had need to call me." Marco's apartment was one of the first, and Nyanta named a few others, then waved a hand to their left. "This is my office."</p><p>He moved to continue on and she stopped and said, "I'd like to see it." She looked into his eyes. "Please?"</p><p>He hesitated, then opened the door. She walked into a reception area, with a desk and a few seats for people who might come to visit and need to wait. It was decorated in traditional Japanese flavor, much like Nyanta would have done. It was empty and Nyanta stood at the door to wait for her.</p><p>She brushed her fingers over the secretary's desk as she walked towards the door of the office proper. "Is your secretary perhaps also in the square, trying to overcome her own emotions of being overwhelmed?" She entered the doorway to the office and turned to look at him, one hand resting on the door frame.</p><p>Nyanta was looking a little confused. "Purrhaps?"</p><p>Purrcy entered the office enough to look around. It was also empty. His desk was well ordered, with his work still sitting in its stacks. She was glad that Inari had at least not just brought sterile buildings and people over.</p><p>On the other side of the room from the desk was a fireplace and two comfortable chairs in front of it with a table between with a tea set properly set on it. Again the few decorations of the room were traditional in style.</p><p>As she looked at the cozy and comfortable seating arrangement, her ears fell and her heart hurt again. She'd been on comfortable pillows all piled up and made to make her body lazy but hurt with little to no support. She'd been surrounded constantly by unhappy women who disliked her or were afraid of her.</p><p>And there had been little to no fire and warmth there the entire time she'd been there. She turned away and was to begin walking to the door when she found Nyanta in it, looking at her. "Purrcy, what is it?"</p><p>"I can't fault you for wanting to stay here, where it was warm and inviting," she said. "The comparison is rather stark to the place I hated." She walked towards the door but stopped arm's length away. "Please, let me pass." When he didn't move, she curtsied. "Please. My claustrophobia is climbing and I'm about to go into a terror."</p><p>He stiffened, then reluctantly moved back into the anteroom to let her out. When she had passed through the doorway, he moved and had her arm in his hand. "Purrcy. It isn't that. Mew've gone cold. Are mew Izanami again already?" The hand on her arm was slightly trembling.</p><p>She raised her eyes to meet his. "No. But I feel a stranger here on the arm of another one." His ears turned unhappy and his tail swished slightly between his ankles, low with distress. She took a breath for courage and to hold down her emotions as best she could. "Who is it that embraces Nyanta when he is here? Who is the grey that Nyanta loves best?"</p><p>Nyanta froze. For a long time he couldn't even blink or breathe, then slowly his tail bushed half-way and he was suddenly shaking his head in a violent denial. In the time he'd been frozen her temperature had dropped until she was ice under his hand. Still, she waited patiently to hear him out. "I didn't. I was with mew until Michael separated us, keeping me in his ring of Spirit Holding."</p><p>Purrcy's cool look didn't change and he flinched slightly. She didn't remember any such thing happening, but she did know he'd been released by Michael during the final battle, so she continued to withhold her judgment as best possible.</p><p>Eager to continue to defend himself, the words flowed from Nyanta's mouth. "She is my secretary, MeowLi. She met me the First time I was come and was my guide and told me from that beginning she was already my secretary. At first I was merely glad for a guide in the strange place were time flows in all directions at once.</p><p>"Li Shou invited me to stay with her here when I determined to stay long enough to understand this place so that I could report purroperly to Shiroe-ichi. When I became more suspicious of Li Shou based on what I was learning, I thought MeowLi might be a spy to keep the goddess informed of my doings."</p><p>Nyanta drew a breath. "Even until today, MeowLi and I've not had the First meeting. I don't know anything other than she was my secretary; not how it came to be nor where she came from, although I did try to discover clues when I became suspicious. Never did we have any other kind of relationship than that."</p><p>He was shaking his head again and his hand was tighter on her as if to press into her a belief in his words. "If she isn't here now, then purrhaps the First meeting is yet to be this Time. Please, I'll bring her to mew immediately upon our First meeting, if it still happens, so mew can know also and she can know from her beginning who it is that Nyanta loves best and holds in this place." His whole body begged her to believe him.</p><p>Purrcy looked at him a long time, taking that long to thaw enough to move herself. When she could finally move again, she passed him, headed to the hallway again. "I will expect it, although it isn't as if an omiagi isn't sometimes inconvenient, nor have I ever had a say from the beginning."</p><p>She was suddenly being held from behind, arms wrapped around her shoulders, holding her from walking out the door. "I can't live in this place again. Not without meowr warmth. It may have been pleasant at the first, but it has been my purrison as well. There are painful memories even here and nights I wanted only to hold mew again. Please, don't leave me cold."</p><p>"I'll still be present," she answered calmly.</p><p>"No, that's not what I mean," he said, desperately wanting to keep her close to him, trying to not make her even more angry. "I need Hahaue, to remember that I'm Chichiue, to know that I'm not hated by everyone who is someone I care for. ...I'm not afraid to die. I'm afraid to live, this time." He was shivering violently.</p><p>Purrcy turned quickly as the strength of his legs gave out and he sank to the floor in front of her with his hands over his face, his head bowed, not able to see what was in her eyes.</p><p>"All I hoped for, all that kept me moving forward, was the dream that one day I would be able to hold mew and smile to see our children. In that dark corner, that was my only small coal of warmth to keep my soul alive." He collapsed further in on himself. "Please, Purrcy. Don't go."</p><p>She could feel him receding back into that dark corner again and she bent down and rubbed his head. Her heart hurt for him terribly. "Nyanta. I'm sorry for your pain. I cried with you then. It's terrible to see you in front of me this way. Please, I'm not angry if I've misunderstood.</p><p>"It's difficult to understand when the last time we were really together you still didn't love me, and even now, when you heal, you won't in the way I might like you to, since your heart is still for your wife of Earth, as it should be."</p><p>She reached down and took his hand and tugged lightly to get him to stand back up. She couldn't easily go to the floor herself, or she would have already. "I wasn't allowed to see into this city, the same as I wasn't allowed to enter it. I only saw her embrace you as you first entered the second time, there at the edge of the Gate of Time.</p><p>"I was already on the <em>Oki Watarimono</em>, awake again for the first time since before we left." She waited until he painfully stood up so she could say the rest to his face.</p><p>Reaching out she took his little fingers in her forefingers, then looked into his eyes. "I don't know what you could tell when you were locked away. Many things happened that I didn't know of. Izanagi wouldn't let myself nor Izanami see into Akiba, although if one of the family prayed to speak with me, I could go and answer them specifically, or if a quest needed my attention.</p><p>"Other than that I wasn't allowed to know how bad it was getting. Even when we mated for the third time, I was unaware, until I was suddenly seeing ProudWing in his aerie. I was unsurprised and disappointed, but since I'd already been shut out of so many things, what could I do?"</p><p>Her eyes searched his face. "When Michael came for me on Christmas and was so strange, I read his history. I don't know why Izanagi let me, but he did. Izanagi had gone to him and made it so his emotions for and surrounding me of any kind were distanced. Nothing he did from then on had any concern for me and my emotions or situation. It was difficult, but not anywhere as difficult as what happened on the <em>Oki Watarimono</em>."</p><p>She shivered. "Izanami came and wanted to experiment from her side. She wanted to know just what it would mean, for that to have happened. She used the information Michael planted as part of the level, the same as we all did - that his desires were also for me - to see if she could still get him to choose to love me, even if he didn't have the emotions attached to it any longer.</p><p>"She was relentless and the Eagles and I were forced to play capture the flag most strenuously, with them protecting Michael and with me fighting with everything I had to help them. Together we managed to protect him and myself, but it was very tiring. There was no need for me to make it look like what we'd planned from the beginning - she forced it. So instead it was a fight the entire journey."</p><p>Her ears drooped. "Before we saw you enter the Gate of Time, I had also held onto that one desire, to be able to hold you and be held by you, comforted with your warmth and strength, even if it was only a kindness. To have seen that scene that was inexplicable broke my reason for continuing forward. It was so very hard to fight Izanami sometimes when I would have just rather thrown myself over the edge of the ship."</p><p>Purrcy closed her eyes, dropping her head in a turn of pain. "Michael could tell it and he frequently warned me to not run except on the main deck, nor to walk the halls and walkways at night, lest I trip and fall off the boat. It was his way to tell me to hold on, to not give up until you and I had talked and I could understand.</p><p>"...I am tired, Nyanta, weary beyond belief. They have done many things to me I would never have conceived of before, including making me something that isn't even an Adventurer any more, and in this last request of Shiroe's he asked for, he's possibly even taken from himself the dream to have me come home again. I'm changed enough now that I may not be recognized by Earth as a daughter, but instead as a virus to be erased."</p><p>Her eyes came up to Nyanta's stunned expression. "Don't tell them. This is yet another thing that shouldn't be told to them, no matter how much they may talk of bringing me home selfishly. I will choose for myself if and when the time comes to tell them. Even though he asked it of me, I chose to allow it to happen for the sake of Theldesia. It's a skill I need to have - Time walking - in order to see that the proper path is followed. It's a willing sacrifice."</p><p>Nyanta looked concerned. "Michael-nyan can time walk and doesn't have that, does he?"</p><p>"No. They had to change me because they're making Time linear in the fabric of this world. I'm not really even of <em>this</em> world now, because of it, but it holds the former Gate of Time in its past and therefore in its memory, so I'm not a virus here.</p><p>"I have to be able to time walk in different times and spaces at the same moment of linear time. Michael will always be only one man living linearly, even if he is in two different places at one time. I'll be able to be in the past and here in this time and in the future all at the same time. It's only because I'm an Adventurer under their restraint that they've allowed it.</p><p>"Perhaps they'll modify it again when things change again so there's greater general restraint on me, and I'll probably prefer it. I'm not Li Shou to know how to prevent the fabric of this world from unraveling until I'm taught it properly. If Earth thinks that I can do that there, it won't hesitate to treat me as the virus I could be come."</p><p>Nyanta looked at her for a moment longer, then pulled her gently into his arms. He just held her for a while, then said, "There are things that I remember that mew were part of that mew seem to not remember, the same as mew have said things I don't remember being part of.</p><p>"I suppose it shouldn't be so surpurrising when the both of us were often not allowed to be purresent. They've granted us the freedom to be purresent to each other from this Time. I will be here with mew. Be here with me, and we will work on healing together, nyan."</p><p>Purrcy held the back of his vest, holding him tightly to her, finally able to give in to her own need to shiver, but it was brief. She was already too tired for many tears this day.</p><p>Their ears twitched as feet could be heard stepping into the hallway and beginning the walk down it. Nyanta brushed the side of Purrcy's head with his lips, and pulled away to take her hand.</p><p>They walked out the door, nothing of what had just happened on them. He closed the door, glancing at the cart coming their way. "And this is my purrsonal apartment," he said informationally as he led her to the next door down. He opened the door and ushered her in.</p><p>She walked in cautiously. In the room was the scent of Nyanta, but not his secretary. Another scent was there, but she could put it down to maid. It was faint, old. Likely he only allowed them to come once a week or less. He was already fastidious and organized so they probably only dusted, collected trash, and changed sheets on the bed, assuming he had one.</p><p>This was the outer area, which was comfortable with a couch and chairs and a central fireplace between the bedroom and the sitting room. A smaller door probably led to a bathroom or such, but the cart was arriving so she would have to explore later. The smell of the food meant it would taste good, if she could get it down. The emotions and exhaustion were counter to any hunger she might have had.</p><p>As Nyanta thanked the server and took the cart, closing the door, Purrcy meandered the room, pausing to look through the doorway at the bedroom. He'd brought his own futon and it was on the floor, rolled neatly against the far wall. Somehow he'd managed to get them to put tatami mats on the floor, even though the hallways were marble and the office had been hardwood and the apartment sitting room was surprisingly carpeting.</p><p>"Purrcy, please come eat something to keep up meowr strength," Nyanta called to her, encouraging her as if she were one of the children of Log Horizon.</p><p>She turned in a little surprise to hear it in his voice, then smiled a little. He had missed all of Log Horizon so much. She couldn't deny him, even though she wasn't very hungry. She watched him as he set the food on the cart on a plate for her.</p><p>When he looked up at her, around the room first, surprised she hadn't moved, she asked him gently, "Nyanta, when Li Shou came to tempt you, where would she sit?" He froze again.</p><p>"Do you want me to sit there also to erase those memories, or will that be too forceful of a reminder in the wrong direction?" He was suddenly trembling so bad the plate went back down on the cart with a clank. She was instantly at his side holding him and petting his head, purring for him.</p><p>His arms were around her again and he was almost gasping. "I <em>never</em> want to remember those times again," he said into her shoulder. "I learned how to detach and hide then, when Izanagi would come to visit with her. ...But if mew couldn't get in, how did mew know?"</p><p>"For many hundreds of years now, perhaps even thousands, Izanagi has refused to have a High Priest at the same time there is a High Priestess, and he has kept us both out of this city. How could it not be that our quest was a final effort to gain Time forcefully when all of those other times of trying to woo her didn't work?</p><p>"He could use that to his effect to have you enter without suspicion this time. It probably surprised her that you would want your own small apartment the First visit you made."</p><p>"Li Shou understood that on my First visit I wasn't the High Purriest yet and slowly over time, both she and Izanagi worked against me until I was purrforming the initiation rites almost unknowingly. She only visited pleasantly even still, though just before I left the overtures were no longer subtle as she became more and more afraid.</p><p>"Izanagi would be cold because she'd still refused to give him Time and she would come and beg and try to sell her body instead. Those were painful times, but even more painful were the times he toyed with her until she was left sobbing out here as he took us into the bedroom, but still she wouldn't relent.</p><p>"It wasn't something that even I could understand. Why would she hold on to it so tightly so as to be placed in those situations?" Nyanta was able to speak more and more calmly as she continued to pet him and purr.</p><p>Purrcy answered from the understanding she had at Li Shou's end, "Because her flavor text was too tightly bound up with who she was. She was unable to voice the words to negate herself. That was probably her greatest fear as well. She may have wanted to say the words but have been unable to.</p><p>"Even with the law of Adventurers working, she couldn't do it, and perhaps by then she'd learned from that Last visit of Izanagi that she shouldn't or couldn't trust him, trust that he would rewrite her existence correctly to allow her to live. He miscalculated very badly if that's what it was, which is very rare for him...like never in a million years rare."</p><p>"Then why did he want to have her die?" Nyanta asked the next question that came out of that analysis.</p><p>Purrcy shook her head. "If there was an emotional reason for it, it's the same reason as to why he was always only ever here with her when Izanami wasn't. Because the High Priest loved Li Shou more than the High Priestess and couldn't allow her to remain alive now that things are changing, to become a point of jealousy or to become a target. ...Or because it was the agreement between them. The payment price of the jealousy for the many years of betrayal."</p><p>"They aren't emotional."</p><p>"No, but the High Priest and the High Priestess were...are if you count us...and it's a rather logical ending to such a story in game terms, too," she sighed and shook her head.</p><p>Nyanta went rather defeated. "That," he said dryly, "is the worst, and most likely, reason of all. Have mew ever read or watched a Japanese traditional tragedy?"</p><p>"No. I'm not fond of tragedies, but I know they're extremely common and well received in Japan," she answered.</p><p>Nyanta pulled away from her enough to look her in the eyes, as he continued to hold her. "That, what mew described, is a quintessential Japanese tragedy, even down to the stereotypes of each of the three players of the triangle."</p><p>"How sad," Purrcy said slumping. "Yet, somehow, it makes it all easier to handle, to just be able to compartmentalize it all as a tragic drama and now the final curtain call has been made and it's behind us and we enjoyed it to lesser or greater degrees." She was going very cynical now, so stopped.</p><p>"I'm sorry, though. I'm sure it's not that at all for you who had to live it. I at least got to have the favored American end. Lots of action, suspense, and a miracle recovery because of the tearful kiss and declaration of love. Knowing that much doesn't make the rest of what I went through easier, any more than what you had to endure."</p><p>Nyanta pet her head, forgiving her. He leaned in and took a kiss that she willingly gave him. He had to recover for a moment after, though. "It's okay," she said softly. "I'll wait yet again. I'm not going to be interested anyway for a while. I'll be pretty busy and very tired."</p><p>Nyanta chuckled a little. "True enough."</p><p>Purrcy left him to collect her plate. As he dished his own, she said, concerned, "Really, Nyanta, I'm going to be so busy you won't be very happy at all. I would much rather you took on the responsibilities of Li Shou in running the city, if they require it of either of us. I have so much to learn about it as it is, even if they are learning it all over again themselves.</p><p>"I'm desperate to have you start teaching me immediately, and at the same time want to hear nothing of it at all. There's no way to express to you how busy Inari has me right now, and now I'll be leaving Hahaue here unless one of the Outside children calls for me. I may have to build another aspect of myself just to get it all done properly."</p><p>Nyanta's ear flicked in concern as he led them to the couch. A bit tentatively he sat down next to her and she just sat close without touching, being company but not overwhelming. "How badly has it been affecting meowr health?" he asked her as they began to eat.</p><p>Purrcy swallowed her bite, forcing it to go down without tasting it much, even though she wanted to since it was different. "Tetorō scolded me so much at the first that I learned a proper balance early. It's the fact that I get so distracted. My mind still can't stretch to the proper distance and size to keep it all in my head.</p><p>"My multiple lists help me not drop details, but I so need a secretary it isn't funny, and maybe three, and an entire department to handle incoming requests. They need to be sorted into importance, type, who knows what other categories, so that I can review them quickly, make decisions, and then reject or handle them appropriately."</p><p>She stabbed at a vegetable and ate it, chewing it properly this time so her stomach wouldn't reject it with the frustration she was feeling. "I managed to get everything to a point it can wait until I can get back to it, but I'm going to be behind, since I'm likely going to have to go back in Time on the outside by the time I'm healed up enough and have things here at a point I won't feel guilty for getting back to work. Hahaue will have to manage the office work and meetings here, on top of raising the children with you, so that's got me guilty enough." She froze.</p><p>Nyanta had turned to her and kissed her so that she'd stop speaking. Purrcy blinked a few times and he released her. "Purrcy, I said I would take care of mew. And I said I'd take care of the children, although I'm pleased mew're willing to help and to try. Mew eat. I'll talk."</p><p>"That's a turn around," she answered dryly. "I'm listening." She dutifully turned to careful and proper eating.</p><p>"What mew are doing is answering requests, receiving claimants, seeing that things are working smoothly within meowr domain?" Purrcy nodded. "What do mew think a kami does?"</p><p>Purrcy froze and stared at him. "I am no goddess, Nyanta. I am a tool of one."</p><p>Nyanta looked back at her mildly. "In this world, that's a rather fine line, it seems to me." She looked away, blushing. "At the very least, mew are doing much of the work of one and therefore need the same help they do." She had to give him that. "And here in this place are those who know how to do that, but are now left without a goddess to serve." Purrcy's whiskers and ears went taut, but she attempted to keep eating.</p><p>"Purrhaps mew will wish to tell them mew aren't a goddess, but mew've already proved mew are to them. So on the scale of a kami of the land, you match the requirements. Izanagi has already made a name for himself here. Each High Purriest has never been at that level, only at the level of the title. Mew have walked into this place and are already equal to them."</p><p>Purrcy grimaced. "I assume you said it publicly to provoke the worst and strongest of them on purpose because you wanted them to know it from the beginning?"</p><p>"Yes. That was better than having them trying to come in three days."</p><p>"They will anyway and we'll have to protect the kittens as well until they understand."</p><p>Nyanta gave an acquiescing nod. "But they'll leave us alone for the immediate now, and as long as we don't move they'll focus more on their own troubles in the city, which is necessary." Purrcy agreed with that. He gave her a glance. "And I admit to some level of hope that they're confused enough by the lack of confusion that it will be enough to distract them these first few days anyway."</p><p>Purrcy gave him a look. "It wouldn't have distracted, and probably won't, Night Sun. Those who visit outside frequently understand linear time well." She paused, with wide eyes, then sighed. "Action item for you. Any person tied directly to this temple and not living in it needs immediate training in how to handle it by inner staff that do understand linear time.</p><p>"All the other temples are already doing it, I'm quite sure. The first temple to have their people stable will be the first ones to rise in power. It has to be us first, who will have the hardest time since we are new."</p><p>Nyanta smiled at her. "Many of the people attached to this temple wanted to talk to the Adventurer who entered alone. I've told my story many times and that one - how the outside works - was a favorite."</p><p>"Right. You're a member of the Debauchery Tea Party. I'll keep my mouth shut or ask what you've already done first." Purrcy rolled her eyes and humbly dipped her ear in apology at the same time.</p><p>Nyanta stared at her, then laughed. "How can mew do that?"</p><p>"Practice," she said with an impish look.</p><p>He clicked his tongue at her. She pretended to ignore it, both haughtily and as if she was just obediently focusing on her food. He turned away and snorted again. "It's because I can be the multiple aspects at once," she finally relented.</p><p>"Tetorō will be very jealous," he said, still humored.</p><p>"He will, won't he?" she said, then shook her head. "He won't want to pay the price, though. He already knows that." She was quiet for a while, then sighed. "Yes, I will miss him the most, but he isn't missing me very much." Nyanta tapped her on the head, just a little sharply. She looked at him in surprise.</p><p>"Well...perhaps he'll miss Purrcy-cat, and I've been thinking of letting him still have that one most of the time until we get back. He needs the deeper long-term healing and Purrcy-cat does that part very well." She glanced at Nyanta again, "but not until we've got you well on the road, I think." He relaxed again, just enough to relieve the small amount of tension he'd gained.</p><p>"You've missed having mouthfuls of hair that much?" she teased lightly. He immediately leaned over and attack-licked her.</p><p>She ducked her head, to his delight, then sighed. "Actually, if you can, I would greatly appreciate it, particularly after the birthing is over. I've come to detest the ritual washings and water baths of any kind. They weren't kind with the first five required ice-water-stream washings. The rest were warm, but the repetition was awful." She looked at him. "What do they do here?"</p><p>"The whole city is in that state all the time," he said with a shrug.</p><p>"The plants that make the food, too?" she asked in surprise, then looked at it a little more suspiciously inside the other realms. "No wonder I'm feeling ill eating it. I'm too low from not purifying on the ship."</p><p>Nyanta immediately took the plate from her and she walked over to the inner shut door. He nodded and Purrcy slipped in to get up to a proper level. She skipped the full washing after the initial purification and went straight to the priestess oblation. Then she felt a lot better.</p><p>She checked on the kittens, but they'd come up with her. It looked like Inari had figured out how to have them do that without troubles during their last run of experiments. She let Nyanta know when she arrived back in the sitting room. The food went down a lot faster after that, and with greater appreciation.</p>
<hr/><p>
  <em>Happy New Year 2021 to all my western readers. We begin this new year with a new arc. Thank you for continuing to walk the path with me. -JR</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Running From the Devourer</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A flash went by Michael, then darted a different direction. It was hard to follow, zigging and zagging and disappearing and reappearing, until he finally realized he was seeing it in a different realm than the base one. It was just manifesting in the base realm at the bare registers of sight.</p>
<p>He slipped into the code realm first to identify it as he gave a quiet warning on the sub-guild chat. The Eagles on the beach and in the trees watched him move as he faced the direction the target was heading (generally given it's erratic movements). The Eagles on the <em>Oki Watarimono</em> entered the code realm with him. "ID it while I find the full realm," he ordered.</p>
<p>He was just headed into the spirit realm, that being the next closest one that most things were from, when one of his code realm foxhole proximity warnings went off. He grabbed the Eagles in the code realm with him, dragged them over to it, dropped them off, then dropped into the spirit realm.</p>
<p>The wandering spirit looked a lot worse for the wear with his edges tattered and his feet and half-way up his calves missing. He was lucky or skilled to be still moving at all, particularly at those speeds, with that problem. He was a young kid, maybe the age of the youngest of the recruits that came to him.</p>
<p>He was in the wrong country - definitely U.S., not Latino. That was probably the oddest thing. The most concerning thing was the terror on his face. He was running from something for sure. Michael was just as sure he didn't really want the kid bringing it to them, although he didn't know if the kid had registered their presence yet.</p>
<p>"Vengeful Spirit and entering your foxhole," the identification report came via guild chat.</p>
<p>"Capture him once he's in it. Strongest lock box. He shouldn't be able to run so he's moving in the code realm. And prepare for battle. Field monitors out, on the double. He came from the northeast. What eats ghosts?"</p>
<p>"Can you <em>please</em> not call them that," Stiletto whined. He was afraid of ghosts, although he'd learned to handle Vengeful Spirits all right. It had not been okay with him to end up on this world and have all the spirits be real and 3-D instead of pictures on the monitor.</p>
<p>"He's one of you, so shut it and hunt. Put him to sleep so he doesn't kill himself trying to escape if he tries to flee. We need to question him. He's from the States." That got them quiet and more worried.</p>
<p>"What would send him flying down here?" Records muttered to P/R. Gareth cast a number of spirit healing spells on top of his strongest sleep spell.</p>
<p>There was a little scream on the chat (Stiletto) and some swear words from Bowie. Then they were on radio silence and running just as fast and in the same way - the way a trained fighter tries to shake off an enemy even if they haven't been seen - back towards the main group.</p>
<p>The rest of them scattered and hid. Before the two scouts were back down the mountain one fifth of the way, a shadow was rising up behind it that continued to rise and rise as if a dark storm cloud rising up into the highest levels of the atmosphere. Even Michael cowered.</p>
<p>"Get off the ship! Now!" he whispered. "Underwater. Don't let it see you escape." He knew they'd be on shore and in the trees and the thing wouldn't see even the waves ripple. That was if it didn't have magical or special abilities. If it could sniff out flesh, they were all dead...and they couldn't afford that.</p>
<p>"We can't afford to be on the other side of the ocean again. Intel - get behind it and mark the trail to the local entrance to the Gate of Time. It will have to be our escape hatch. Volunteers to lead it on the merry chase back up to the City of Angels? Four should be enough." MasterChiefS7 volunteered right away as was his responsibility. Clocktower, OciferJeff, and Training volunteered as well and began moving to the north.</p>
<p>"Let's find out what takes it down so they can slow it down if they need to," he ordered the rest of them. Since he'd called for four, no more than four would show themselves at a time. "Gareth, when we've got it ID-ed, come with me over to the physical location of that foxhole. We need to pick the kid up and take him with us."</p>
<p>The monster, moving with the slow speed of large creatures, stepped over the top of the mountain and it's foot landed half-way down the slope. The next step would put it nearly on top of them and the next one on the beach. That was one huge monster. Even bigger than the biggest in China.</p>
<p>It was a rather shapeless mass, if somewhat humanoid in form, and as the rest of it came flowing over the top of the mountain, more "feet" appeared to help the full massive amount of physical matter move down the steep slope without it toppling over.</p>
<p>They spread out, mostly to the north to get it to go that way on the turn, and gave it the opening to the <em>Oki Watarimono</em>. As much as they hated to see the double paddlewheel steamboat go, if it could be the visual bait they'd sacrifice it.</p>
<p>As the flowing mass reached the base of the mountain it began to rise vertically again, even though there was still part of it at the top of the mountain. When it was vertical again, it took the next step and the first four attacked that foot and leg. Michael watched the status bar.</p>
<p>Those four turned and attacked on the way back again on the same leg and the mass of the leg reached out towards them to grasp at them. He was relieved when they managed to roll and leap far enough away that the monster gave up the chase. It could have easily sent out enough flowing mass to cover them all and eat them all up.</p>
<p>"Hold," he whispered to prevent any of the rest of them from attacking. The next step put it at the beach and it was leaning over to pick up the <em>Oki Watarimono</em>.</p>
<p>"Run. It increases in HP equal to the amount of damage you deal to it. It's a reverse monster, and it's a good bet no one figured out how to suck the HP out of it. It's still up and moving and chasing him all the way from the States." The silence of fear was rolling over them all as they were all thinking the same thing: <em>...and he's a ghost</em>.</p>
<p>Michael was already on the move to that foxhole. The field monitors, already over the top of the mountain having been sent back before they made it down, put on speed. The four waiting to be bait were already moving north, but they'd use arrows to pull it.</p>
<p>The last Michael saw of the <em>Oki Watarimono</em> it was being swallowed whole by being shoved into the "chest" of the monster. They might get it back...if they could figure out how to defeat it. "Try purification. It's likely our only hope. Good luck. We'll meet you in the City of Angels and, if we can, south of there so you can get your turn to make it to home base."</p>
<p>"Good luck," MasterChiefS7 whispered back and they were on radio silence again.</p>
<p>This really was insane. A monster that increased in HP instead of decreased for every attack...was anything still living on the west coast of North Amerka? The man was a hero for not running east, or at the very least intelligent. Running down through Mexico all along this coast were the least numbers of people as far as the game and Adventurers were concerned. He'd prevented it from getting bigger at the least.</p>
<p>Michael wondered how long the kid had been running and shuddered. He scrabbled at the ground where his code realm foxhole was. Gareth joined in until they were close enough the psyche would be able to get to them. On Michael's hand was a golden ring.</p>
<p>He watched from the spirit realm. "Come." The spirit moved towards him. Good. They were close enough. He confirmed the shield was still set up on the spirit itself. "Enter. ...Sleep."</p>
<p>"You still have that?" Gareth asked as they got on the move again, a bit surprised that Purrcy had continued to allow Michael to keep it after using it as both her prison and Nyanta's.</p>
<p>"Who knows what she knows?" The monster was turning away from the ocean again and there was a rumbling to the air around them. They put on more speed, bringing wings out. Michael grabbed Gareth's arm and phased them just inside the code realm. In three more bounds, they were up a tree and in three more, they were in flight.</p>
<p>Their large wings pushed the air hard and they moved faster than their feet could. They stayed low and just inside the trees, turning sideways when the clearance got short horizontally. These were maneuvers they'd practiced in their angels and they came just as naturally now. They had to maintain the contact, though, or Gareth would be back in the base realm, so they were holding hands and in formation with Michael just over and in front of Gareth.</p>
<p>"Up," Gareth said. Michael obeyed. "More." Michael shot them out of the cover and as high as he dared, about ten feet from the tree tops, wanting to at least give them visual cover if possible. "Get in the air, everyone. It's flooding the woods." Gareth almost squeaked in his effort to keep his yell to a whisper.</p>
<p>Michael moved them up higher and glanced behind them. The monster looked like it was sinking into the ocean and becoming a filthy foamy crest that flooded into the space they'd just left.</p>
<p>"Test a blessed arrow," Michael ordered. As soon as the four to the north were in the air, Clocktower circled back with his bow in hand. When he reached the sweet spot, three arrows were launched in succession then he was angling north again. "Watch it," Michael ordered Gareth while he looked forward again to straighten their own flight.</p>
<p>"It didn't like that," MasterChiefS7 said, "and it wants to know where it came from. We're out. We know how to make it follow us now."</p>
<p>"The HP wavered on the first one, then dropped on the second two. Where they hit became holes, though it's so massive they filled back in pretty quick," Gareth reported. "It was more noticeable in the numbers than on the status bar."</p>
<p>"I recommend mining your path as you go whenever you need to get ahead," Reed commented.</p>
<p>"Roger."</p>
<p>Michael and Gareth were the last to reach the peak of the mountain. He paused them long enough to fly north a little way along the ridge, just below the peak so they wouldn't be outlined in the sky. Some of the mass was coming up the mountain their way, but the majority of it was making it's ponderous way north. For being slow, when something that large got moving, it's overall sum speed was fast.</p>
<p>He was relieved when his first purification mine went off and made it pause a little. He set one a little farther up the mountain range, halfway down the mountain to draw the exploratory tendrils trying to follow them back towards the north.</p>
<p>He set a code-realm camera on it and slipped the two of them over the top of the mountain. He angled them to follow the trail blazed by the field monitors. "Take over while I watch what happens."</p>
<p>Gareth moved forward and pulled on him while Michael kept watch on what happened. The mine finally went off - a little larger than the others could manage - and the monster writhed. "Nice damage," MasterChiefS7 said as the field operator of his group.</p>
<p>"I'm looking for what's next." The monster was doing about what could be expected: beginning to condense back up from the flood to a more wall-like formation that spanned from the ocean to the mountain, slowing down the front for a moment. He was sure his four pullers were putting on the speed. That gain wouldn't last long.</p>
<p>"Go to ground and hide," he ordered his set. "Keep it really still." Gareth immediately dropped them to a tree and they landed with a bend of the knees to take up the speed and held still in the crouch to make as small an impression as they could. The wall rose up to peer over the mountain peak.</p>
<p>He held his breath and another set of three explosions went off towards the ocean side of the wall followed closely by another three as Clocktower strafed it from mountainside to oceanside. The wall filled in the holes, then coalesced back into the tall humanoid form.</p>
<p>His four pullers booked it. Michael waited long enough to confirm that it hadn't left a piece of itself behind to come after the rest of them - who should be yummier because there were more of them - and slumped in relief. "Let's go," he said quietly.</p>
<p>He and Gareth rose back into the air and soon they were all in the standard "V" formation, just at tree top level, one of them always having on eye on the monster. It was still tall enough to see them and they could see its head and shoulders, moving slowly north after its new targets.</p>
<p>The rest of them sent a prayer and their thanks heavenward and made as fast speed as they could to their only hope of being able to keep them all on this side of the world.</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>"How are we all going to fit up there?" Records wanted to know.</p>
<p>They were looking at the top of a Mayan pyramid that would only fit five, at a squeeze, at a time on the top.</p>
<p>"We only want one of us in there to begin with," Michael said. "Stand on the steps to wait your turn for the shuttle. Hold onto the belt of the man in front of you and we'll likely all enter the same."</p>
<p>He made sure they were all in position, then turned and faced the center of the pyramid where the altar was and stepped through to the realm of time. The door appeared again (he'd already found it earlier) and he stepped just barely through it, Gareth moving with him and holding on tightly.</p>
<p>Michael carefully thought of Nyanta at the first time he was sent to the Gate of Time, then called up a chat. "Nyanta-san, it's Michael and the Eagles. We're in trouble and need to cut through the Gate of Time. Can you meet us at the Mayan entrance and help us get to the Western North Amerkan edge?" He didn't move, and didn't change his focus from which time-bound Nyanta he wanted to talk to.</p>
<p>"Stay there and don't move," Nyanta finally answered back.</p>
<p>"Roger." Nyanta appeared a few moment's later. "Twenty of us need to come through, and we need to be let off as close to the City of Angels as possible."</p>
<p>"When are mew entering?" Nyanta asked.</p>
<p>Michael paused, then said, "After the sixth level but before the final boss. When did you last enter?"</p>
<p>"At the punishment that sent me the First time."</p>
<p>Michael nodded. "Shiroe will need all the data you can gather. The Gate of Time is one of the rooms of the sixth level, but we're after that in our now. Right now we're trying to figure out why there's a monster that's as tall as the atmosphere from the ground that receives attacks as if they're feeding it. It looks like it's eaten everything on the western seaboard of North Amerka and was chasing the last snack south. We're hoping for clues and to not be snacks ourselves."</p>
<p>"That sounds rather terrible," Nyanta allowed. Michael nodded soberly. "Stay there on the edge and count the sunrises and sunsets. Because mew entered from the west, when the sun rises, subtract a day. When the sun sets, add a day. Mew will all need to count, and once one of mew exits, the others must exit only when their count is exactly the same and from the same location.</p>
<p>"It may feel like a long time here, but it will be during the same day there that mew arrive. I'll walk with mew to the closest exit, although mew may not see me some of the time. I'll wait at the location, though, so mew'll see me."</p>
<p>Michael carefully memorized what Nyanta was wearing, then motioned. "Wear your earrings of protection. Because this is one of the rooms it's possible they may try to prevent us, or you now that we've had contact." Nyanta nodded and his earrings of luck and stealth appeared in his ears.</p>
<p>Michael put on the cufflinks and his own earring. He reached back behind him and grabbed hold of Gareth's wrist, then slipped from the time realm to the code realm. The rest were waiting for him there.</p>
<p>He gave them the instructions Nyanta had given him and made sure they understood them, then returned to the Gate of Time. He tugged on Gareth's wrist. When he got a tug back, he moved slightly forward and to his left, watching the sun and counting for each movement of the sun. He moved slowly enough everyone could keep track of the sun and every fifth pace he would pause and look for Nyanta.</p>
<p>Michael was very glad he'd heard how to do all this before at the very helpful time when Nyanta had told Leonardo in Tianjing. Purrcy had, again at that time, set things up ahead of time to be a useful tool later. It also didn't hurt that he'd lived here and it already wasn't his own First time.</p>
<p>For a time they moved that way without hindrance. Then, on a pause to look for Nyanta, Michael saw his grey ears flick in warning and he went still and faded out. "Shield. Invisibility." They continued to count the sun's movements as they held still, not finding it simple since they couldn't look completely away from the horizon to their left, but the potential danger came from the right.</p>
<p>When Nyanta came back into view and looked for them, Michael checked his own earring. Only when Nyanta phased out again, then back into view and his own earring's faint chime faded did Michael release his shield.</p>
<p>For another three times that happened and which Nyanta could be trusted came at a different time each time. The third time they had to wait a long time. Michael figured that was a good sign they were getting close and those who wanted them were getting desperate.</p>
<p>"Gareth, I'm going to have to go protect us in the time realm this next time, is my guess. I'll guard the exit when we get there. You're going out first. Call out your total and the rest will follow you." He was talking on the sub-guild chat so everyone would know the plan.</p>
<p>"How will you know your count?" Gareth asked, worried. "You won't be able to watch your suns."</p>
<p>"I don't need to, if I know your count."</p>
<p>"I'm not going to call it out," Gareth said. "I think sound may be trapped in time also. I'll code it."</p>
<p>"Like it," Michael approved. That kind of thinking was why he liked Gareth next to him. "Try to make it as close to the day we entered as possible, and before by a few if you can. I'd like to meet them coming up. I expect we'll run into a line of Grandpa's showing the way out and only one is the right one. Keep to our stealth pattern."</p>
<p>"Roger."</p>
<p>Three more pauses of the pattern later and Nyanta winked out again. This time he appeared farther down and turned to look for them. Immediately Michael protected them with a shield of time to erase their presence and distort the "when" they might be, although it didn't change the time for either side. It would only do that if one or the other passed through it.</p>
<p>He kept them moving forward, watching only the interior now. Multiple times a Nyanta would appear. Each one always had the earrings in, but in all the cases the clothes weren't quite right.</p>
<p>The first time a sword came through his shield, he knew that Li Shou had sent her own warriors to join the attempt to prevent them. He immediately stopped their forward motion, then cast a code realm spell to encase the warriors on the other side, giving his men a tunnel to walk through that would prevent damage in that zone.</p>
<p>On the inside of that wall he put a veil of spirit that would make the physical weapons into weapons of mist that wouldn't do damage and to the wielder it wouldn't meet any resistance, so if they did get too close they wouldn't be discovered and they wouldn't be injured.</p>
<p>Once that was set, and keeping invisibility on as much as possible given their movement through both space and time, he got them started again with a touch on Gareth's wrist first and waiting for the response that everyone was ready and accounted for.</p>
<p>The moment Michael saw a Nyanta that didn't make his cufflinks buzz and that was wearing the correct clothing, Michael cast the spells he'd been working on. They were similar to the ones he'd just set, but were like an airlock to set over the place he would send them through. He set them directly across from that Nyanta, then nodded when that Nyanta disappeared for a brief fuzz of time and was replaced by a different Nyanta, although only his cufflinks could really tell.</p>
<p>He set up the shields in between the 'airlock' and the Gate of Time the same as he had for their walk to that location, then led the Eagles along the pathway to the place they needed to exit. He took one more step past it, then stopped.</p>
<p>He reached back, took Gareth's hand in his and detached it from his belt. Gareth clasped Michael's hand, wrapping his fingers around Michael's thumb, and tapped on the back of his hand. <em>Minus ... three days</em>, and the hand was replaced with the next hand a short while later.</p>
<p>There was a pause, then he received the same code and that hand was replaced with the next. For eighteen times that message was passed on to him by code. The nineteenth hand pulled on his instead. Michael had that hand twisted and behind the person's back in a lock hold.</p>
<p>It wasn't easy, but the code came through. <em>You can carry me. I'll stay and fight with you.</em></p>
<p>
  <em>What's the timing or you aren't one of mine.</em>
</p>
<p><em>Minus ... three days.</em> Michael shifted to the code realm and read the data. It could have been someone else with that, but it wasn't, so he slipped them both back through the wall and to the proper day.</p>
<p>"Why did you offer to fight?" he asked the man, still in a lock hold.</p>
<p>"Because I assumed that if you were still waiting you were expecting to fight."</p>
<p>"Did you sell us out?" Michael asked him.</p>
<p>"No."</p>
<p>Michael released him physically, but not any of the shields he'd put around him. He also checked the area in the time realm. There weren't any enemies in the area - yet. "Gareth, if you've got our location locked in, lead out."</p>
<p>"We're missing one."</p>
<p>"He'll have to catch up. We can't wait for miscounts."</p>
<p>There were swords pointed at the man Michael had just released. "It was the one right before this one."</p>
<p>"I see." Michael said.</p>
<p>"Why is it me and not the person before him?" Stiletto protested.</p>
<p>"Because you knew the right count. You distracted his count. We'll let you be the snack for the monster. I want to see what happens to an Adventurer when one gets eaten."</p>
<p>Stiletto went pale, even through his dark skin. "He was pushed out."</p>
<p>"You still get the punishment, Stiletto. You know fear isn't a good enough reason to play traitor."</p>
<p>"I didn't," Stiletto protested.</p>
<p>Michael nodded, then backed up in time to see what had happened for himself. What Michael learned made him worried. He rescued Schedules from the wrong time entry, then immediately went back to the time just after he'd left his guild. He barely made it in time to save Stiletto from the beating that was just beginning.</p>
<p>"Stop!" Michael ordered. "Someone in the Gate of Time did it. We all know that he's important to the end - even Nyanta. Stiletto, when we feed you to the monster, make it <em>look</em> good."</p>
<p>He stared at Stiletto until the slight man swallowed and nodded. "I don't think that will be hard, Sir."</p>
<p>"No, I'd imagine not," Michael said. "Let's get moving. Don't go anywhere, though, Stil."</p>
<p>Stiletto shook his head. He'd have to play the part of being distrusted. If anything, those who'd pushed him out had set their deaths just by doing that. Stiletto was an Assassin <em>because</em> he was an assassin, and he was the best intelligence man in the U.S. Naval fleet as far as the Eagles were concerned. It was nice the enemy didn't know Michael was a realm walker. If the enemy was confused, all for the better.</p>
<p>They followed Gareth by flight as long as they could keep the wings going. They'd already used them to get to the Gate of Time half the time they could use them per day, but it got them to the outer edge of the Arizona desert. That let them skip one of the most difficult, but boring, dungeon zones in that part of the country.</p>
<p>Large scorpion-types, cactus-types, etc, were not interesting this day, plus the sand traps took forever to work around and the zone map was almost required. Since those didn't exist any more, it was better to fly over it. It was rather annoying they had to go straight west and a little north when the men they needed to help were southwest of them. But they had time with the three day head start.</p>
<p>They camped as soon as the wings gave out, eating quickly and sleeping hard for the minimum required four hours. Then they were up again and running the tireless run of the over-one-hundred level Adventurer.</p>
<p>They'd done these zones in the game, too. San Diego was their port of call when they got to go home on leave. They'd played more over here because of that and had most of the worst zones memorized. The paths between were almost possible to do in their sleep.</p>
<p>Michael and Gareth stayed point. Gareth, as Navigator, had taken bonuses and skills to his Tracker sub-class that helped him in point to point travel and his Constant Compass was magically set to point always to the pole with the red hand. The white hand pointed to whatever destination zone Gareth input into it when he opened it. It was nice a magic compass couldn't be broken or demagnetized.</p>
<p>They kept going, taking out a few monsters here and there along the way. This wasn't a very populated area even on Earth, and they were high enough level, and enough of them, that most monsters they did see were in hiding. They left them alone since they weren't on that kind of a hunt.</p>
<p>They'd been running for about the four hours they were going to go before the rest stop when Electrical said on the chat, "Hey, isn't that outpost supposed to be around in here somewhere? I seem to recall that it was between two canyons and right about where the hills started turning into foot-hills."</p>
<p>There was chatter until they decided on the name of the place. Gareth switched his compass to point to the outpost and turned them north a little sharper.</p>
<p>As they started to recognize the landmarks, they slowed down just a little and spread out. They were on the high side of the canyons and split up to come up on either side of the outpost. When they crawled up to the edge of the high plateaus and looked down, there was silence for quite some time.</p>
<p>Normally the outpost had about five NPC-run shops - the inn, the saloon, the grocery, the tack and stable, the sheriff's office and jail, and the "house" - the one place you could find a semblance of a family and was the one place to represent homesteaders on the frontier.</p>
<p>When the players first rolled into town, it was a wasteland and tumbleweeds rolled through, but as they played more NPCs were added until it was almost a bustling town. The more zones conquered, the more people would come to live there. It was usually rather full of both NPCs and Adventurers because it was the Last Outpost and you couldn't gear up for the desert zones anywhere closer.</p>
<p>The Last Outpost looked like no one had ever come to build it up. It was ramshackle, with tumble weeds tucked into corners and against what walls weren't falling down. "Did no one come out here after the catastrophe?" Electrical asked.</p>
<p>"I'd not be surprised if they didn't for at least the first year," Michael said. "No one did anything except try to survive and understand life that first year. I would have thought by sometime in the early second year they would have, though. There are some good drops farther east. If something made it hard to leave the coast, though...."</p>
<p>They watched the Last Outpost silently for a while, wondering if the NPCs had shriveled up and died. Most places on Yamato that had NPCs still had NPCs even if the Adventurers didn't show up...but they could die.</p>
<p>"I think we need information," Michael finally said. "I'd not like to have to fight any monsters that decided it was a place to camp out, but if even the sheriff is in town we should be able to learn something. Reed, pick a small party to go down and another one as close-in protection. The rest of us will watch over them from here until we get a feel."</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>The tiny forms of the investigative party were picking their way through the outpost. "It's a sad sight," Aviation Safety said from inside the house. "There's a graveyard out back. Wife and two kids buried and the husband's bones sitting at the table."</p>
<p>"Saloon and inn are empty," Avionics reported in.</p>
<p>"Same for the stable and grocery, but there's mummified food in the grocery," Electrical said softly.</p>
<p>"They didn't die from starvation, then," Life Support mumbled.</p>
<p>"Huh. Sheriff's left a record. I'll bring it up," QA's voice was subdued.</p>
<p>"Any water?" Life Support asked. There was silence for a bit as the men searched the outpost.</p>
<p>"Nothing coming up in the stable pump," Avionics reported.</p>
<p>"Brown trickle from the house, after lots of effort," Aviation Safety reported. "I'll keep going and collect if anything comes up."</p>
<p>"Don't," Life Support said. "It might have been dysentery. We don't want that until after we've reached the goal."</p>
<p>"Or like: never," Bowie said. "That's nasty stuff."</p>
<p>"Is there enough left of anything for it to be protection for the rest time?" Reed asked.</p>
<p>"Don't recommend it," QA said shortly. "My one glance through the record it looked like it was hit by monster raids regularly enough, though they kept them back as long as it was the minimum present."</p>
<p>"Right, then move on out. I'd rather not pull any of those in. We've still got distance to travel," Michael said.</p>
<p>Gareth reset his compass again and they moved more a direct course west this time, though night was coming on. It would be cold traveling, but they didn't really care. They did make sure to be down off the plateau before the sun left, though. Then it was just running through sagebrush and around cacti, and eating rations on the run.</p>
<p>"You talked to the ghost yet?" Michael was asked.</p>
<p>"Nope. Thought I'd wait until we were closer. He was wiped out so is likely not minding his extended nap. Besides if he's still running from here I don't want them to overlap. I'm giving him time to get out of the way, to put it one way." Soberly he added. "We'll talk to him before we hit the City of Angels, though. I don't want to go into that blind."</p>
<p>"That's good, then."</p>
<p>Michael wasn't surprised they'd checked. They should have been getting into settled land now, with at least cattle grazing even if the crop farms were farther afield. "Spread out and see if you can see signs of cattle. Sweep formation."</p>
<p>Twenty minutes later one lone cow skeleton was called out. In another twenty, seven more had been found. In ten more they found the watering hole. It was muddy but the prints of the cattle were old by at least half a year. They left that water alone, too, and shifted to follow the herd prints that led towards the mountains in the distance that separated them from the coast.</p>
<p>It was nearing sunset when they reached the homestead and slowed to creep up on it to investigate. It made heads shake to find it was also empty, by that about half year and looking almost as fallen into disrepair as the outpost. On the coast-side of the ranch it looked like they'd driven the cattle towards town, probably to sell and settle, abandoning the ranch.</p>
<p>"It's worse than a ghost town, to see all this empty," Schedules said sadly. "It's sad that not having the Adventurers around to keep it going killed it."</p>
<p>They followed the tracks towards the town, knowing that whatever town it was, it would have been the closest one they would have gotten income from for selling the cattle. The half-moon was bright in the sky when they found the skeletons of the herd. They stopped and swallowed. Monsters had come and eaten the carcasses, but the enemy had been human, and possibly the Adventurers themselves.</p>
<p>The family's bones were also on the ground and it was possible others, but it had been so long ago there weren't markings to tell who was who. They looked at each other with worried expressions.</p>
<p>Had the Adventurers of the western U.S. gone completely mad, to kill NPCs who only wanted to make their lives better when life had changed so much at the catastrophe? Or had the bandits of the area that the Adventurers were often hired to control become overwhelming?</p>
<p>"If it was bandits, they wouldn't have killed and left the cattle," Aviation Safety said. "They would have kept them alive long enough to keep the bandits alive and driven them to their hideout." They looked at each other, then as one turned and headed for the bandit hideout. They knew that place well and it was mostly on their way.</p>
<p>Michael had them stop about another hour on the road, though. He'd let them go long since everyone was worried, but they had to have the proper rest, too, or they'd slip up when it was most dangerous. This was an hour-long sit and eat rest.</p>
<p>Everyone sat quiet, trying to figure out how to deal with the sad story the desert was telling them. Michael considered letting the Vengeful Spirit out, but then decided against it. It was still early for that. They could glean their own information for a while yet.</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>"Empty here, too," Legal said, his head appearing from behind a cave wall. They gathered in the central cavern, shaking their heads.</p>
<p>Even the bandits had disappeared, leaving behind rotting things and a few skeletons of their own, or their prisoners they hadn't bothered to take with them and had knifed instead. They'd found the hidden loot hole and scrabbled up the slim pickings that remained from the exodus.</p>
<p>"Will we find them dead on the way to somewhere, too?" Secretary asked, a frown on his face. He only got shrugs.</p>
<p>"Sleep time," Michael said. "Make it a six this time and set watches." He headed for a pile of wood and threw together a small fire, but he didn't light it just yet. They were using the magic lights for now, but it would be a waste while they were sleeping. A small fire for light in the caverns of the west desert plateau would be sufficient.</p>
<p>He walked to the entrance of the cavern and cast a spell to hide the mouth of it. The one typically put on it by the bandit magicians was gone without one to reset it. BlackJack was just outside setting small warning explosive spells on the ground around the cavern mouth, far enough out to be warnings for rather large monsters.</p>
<p>Michael watched him until he walked back, then raised an eyebrow. "That spooked are you? It's just life, you know. When there's nothing to pay you for staying out in the wild, you return home. When all the homesteaders go home, the bandits have nothing to take. Everyone has to move into town and town either gets stinky or shrinks as people go to the big city."</p>
<p>BlackJack shook his head. "Still...it's feeling unnatural. Starting it with a ghost and a monster <em>that</em> big, and it feels really bad."</p>
<p>"I suppose," Michael said noncommittally, leaning a shoulder on the side wall. He crossed his arms and one foot in front of the other to look out over the wide red-sand canyon in front of him that was almost black in the white moonlight. "But I think that came later. That feels more like a special gone bad."</p>
<p>BlackJack leaned on the opposite wall, his back to it, and stuck his hands in his pockets. "Maybe."</p>
<p>They stood quietly for a while. When Reed finally called out the guard rotations and the current ones on duty came out to the mouth of the cave, BlackJack and Michael pushed to their feet and walked back to the cavern. The little fire was being started by the two others on watch who would sit in the cavern to wake everyone up if the outer two called back a warning.</p>
<p>Michael found a bit of sandier rock floor, pulled out his sleeping bag (ever so grateful for just a small moment for his Adventurer lists), and crawled in to sleep hard and fast again.</p>
<p>He personally was more worried by the fact they'd seen almost no monsters and even less wildlife other than the ubiquitous plants of the western deserts. With nothing to keep the population down they should have been increasing, not decreasing to near non-existence.</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>"Why are we seeing skeletons?" It was breakfast at eight-hundred hours. "I mean, in Yamato, we kill something and it goes up in bubbles, even the body and skeleton. We have to butcher them to get the bones left over."</p>
<p>"Well, I hope it's not the bloody butcher," their resident horror expert and second most fearful person said.</p>
<p>"Not likely," Life Support snorted. "None of them were properly butchered anyway." Bowie, who had experience with butchering in the field, nodded agreement.</p>
<p>"It's flavor text for the desert," Reed said calmly, spooning another bite of his food in his mouth.</p>
<p>Secretary leaned over and inspected Reed's dish suspiciously. "You got away with extra of Hahaue's tikki masala? How'd you do that?"</p>
<p>"It was in the back of the fridge so I snagged it before we left."</p>
<p>"Like you need spicy in the middle of the desert?" he was ragged, but everyone knew it was jealousy.</p>
<p>"It's the last thing I've got to eat. I've been saving it." That made everyone sober up. They were all getting low. They'd really hoped to be able to buy up even the last of what the grocery might have had at the outpost.</p>
<p>They'd been chased out of the camp they'd been trying to set up so they could resupply. What little remained from their ocean voyage that was a little extra had been on the <em>Oki Watarimono</em>, now sloshing in the sea of the giant monster. They weren't likely to want to eat it second hand, now.</p>
<p>"We'll be fine," Michael reassured them. "I've got enough in the guildmaster quest box for the Maze plus some, and we'll get to the City of Angels fairly soon."</p>
<p>"You think there'll be food there?"</p>
<p>Michael took another bite of his Crescent Burger, almost nostalgic for the home that was Akiba. "I didn't say that." They paused in their eating to look at him. "Like I said, I think the Big One was a special gone bad. They always originate at the Adventurer cities. I think <em>it's</em> one big ghost town now - literally."</p>
<p>"Then why didn't the runner stay?"</p>
<p>"I think it's eating them...or was tasked to collect them so the Overwritten could get into the final door of the Maze of Eternity."</p>
<p>"Huh." That made a lot of sense to them - ignoring the attempt at humor.</p>
<p>"We're not seeing the wildlife we should be. When we get to the mountains we're going to fly over them as long as we can, but if you find game, hunt it down in pairs and fill your food lists with it. We've got to have enough to survive past the Maze."</p>
<p>Michael sighed. "And I'm really hoping we can pry the vessel out of the belly of the monster. I'd still like the escape option of being ocean-worthy." They finished eating, hoping things would turn for the better soon. Michael could only think of Purrcy shivering in his arms as she cried for Amerka and pleaded with him to have the Eagles do what they could to help. He couldn't help wondering if they were too late.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Birth of the Kittens</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The three days Purrcy and Nyanta had together alone were the best blissful (if late) honeymoon they could have had, save the occasional painful reminders of the past that had to be weathered until they recovered. That was easier now because they were together.</p>
<p>There were a few interruptions now and again, particularly by the interviews with the midwives who Purrcy gave a thorough grilling to until she had some she trusted to have the proper skills and clean-room style she wanted. She almost bit off the heads of the first three, and told Nyanta to tell his contact to get to work being smarter or find someone else.</p>
<p>By the end, Nyanta was quite sure that all of the fertility goddesses (of which cat goddesses were in the majority of for some reason) were impressed with at least her skills in that regard. He was also sure that would label her another one, grouped in with them. It was bound to happen anyway since she'd shown up pregnant.</p>
<p>The city just had to get over the fact that the two of them were Adventurers. Purrcy complained privately to him after one set had been sent away, disgruntled: "Oh, for goodness sake. They need to just grow up. Of course the top creator kami would pick the top creature of the world, now that they can."</p>
<p>Given that pregnant cats about to give birth liked to go into hiding for it, Nyanta held down his desire to get out of his apartment for the time being. It wasn't quite so bad with Purrcy being there, but he wasn't going to stay in those rooms past the birthing any longer than he had to.</p>
<p>After her comment about the throne, however, he decided to not leave the move to random chance. He went up to Li Shou's suite when Purrcy was busy with the last set of midwife's interviews.</p>
<p>It wasn't good. Light draperies hung over the bed and all over the walls. He looked at the steward and shook his head. "She can't be reminded of the shrine," he said firmly. "And it's to be for both of us."</p>
<p>Marco sighed lightly to himself. "The bed must be a futon?"</p>
<p>Nyanta nodded. "The formal royal futons are not simply on the floor. It's to be on a raised platform. This size and location." He used his natural Adventurer ability to put everything currently in the bedroom into the attic storeroom. Marco blinked.</p>
<p>Nyanta then paced out a large square on the floor, centered against the wall that had the doors to the balcony in it. "That's the base level. The platform for the futon is two feet less around each edge. The futon is the same size as that platform. Large candle sticks three feet high at each central point of the edges. They will be lit each evening by the maid before we come to bed."</p>
<p>"Y-you'll have the maids?"</p>
<p>"Yes, as many as it takes to keep up with us," Nyanta said.</p>
<p>Marco opened his mouth, then closed it and swallowed. Nyanta flicked an impatient ear at him. "Just because Izanagi didn't care because he was abusing Li Shou that doesn't mean I don't have opinions. Now that my true wife is here with me, I am building the nest that should have been built for her long ago."</p>
<p>The steward understood after that and patiently accepted all of Nyanta's orders of which there were rather a lot. It was going to take extra time, now that it was linear. Nyanta was going to have to be a little more patient than he wanted to be, but it would be better to have the suite properly prepared before bringing Purrcy and the kittens upstairs.</p>
<p>The nursery was another addition that was going to take some construction. Nyanta didn't want them in the same room all the time, but they had to be protected, and close by. In the end he had to ask for real construction to be done to put a door into a wall and divide the next room over into a nursery and play room for when the children were a little older. They'd worry about bedrooms later when the children were older.</p>
<p>As Nyanta stood outside on the balcony, he sighed. There was one thing he couldn't give Purrcy. He couldn't give her a silver maple, and they'd both be out of practice by the time they returned. He wasn't sure what to do about that.</p>
<p>"May I approach?" came from the air somewhere on his right.</p>
<p>He looked over, then slightly up. "Ceridwen. I suppose mew may for a brief while, but mew must meet my wife before mew leave or she'll kill me. Now that the flavor text has been erased, it turns out she's the jealous one."</p>
<p>"Is it so bad?" his one staunch friend in this city asked him in light concern.</p>
<p>"Surprisingly," he answered, "although it's rather an honor, really."</p>
<p>Ceridwen stepped off her cloud onto the balcony and the cloud disappeared. "You seem more relaxed."</p>
<p>"Yes, thank mew," he answered mildly. "I'll be happy to have Izanagi distracted for the rest of the time I have to be on the planet."</p>
<p>"And having your wife helps...or hurts?"</p>
<p>Nyanta smiled a private smile and didn't answer. Instead he asked, "To what do I owe the pleasure of the visit?"</p>
<p>"Well, I happened to see you, and no one's sure if either of you is approachable, so I've been rather volunteered," she looked at him from the corner of her eye. "Since you did call on me already. Was that <em>your</em> interviewing that made eyes pop?"</p>
<p>"Oh, no. Purrcy is a midwife herself. As Caretaker that was her first job, as a matter of fact, for a demihuman. But she's had four other children before this where we come from, so it's not new to her at all." Ceridwen filed those factoids away quite properly. "She would like to thank mew for meowr help in finding them for us, her being new to the city in her First visit. I'm grateful as well."</p>
<p>"Well, I'm certainly glad to be of help," Ceridwen answered demurely.</p>
<p>"We aren't appurroachable," Nyanta answered her first question while looking back out over the city, his hands behind his back. "Not until she's healed from the birthing. Likely it will be the seventh day from our arrival, but we'll make an official announcement once I've purroperly explained everything to her. I'm still teaching her what it is to live in the Gate of Time."</p>
<p>Ceridwen looked at him with only a slight amount of her concern bleeding through. "Are you really going to let her only be an advisor?"</p>
<p>"No, which is why it will take time. She'll still make me do most of the work, however, out of necessity."</p>
<p>"So you'll still end up the main driving force behind what happens in this city when you're around," she accused.</p>
<p>"Sadly. It seems to be the role Izanagi has set for all of his High Purriests." He turned his own concerned look at her. "What will mew do when we leave together this time, and there is no goddess to sit the Throne of Time?"</p>
<p>"How long will you be gone?"</p>
<p>"Even if it's only for half a year outside, that could be twenty in here," he said cautioningly, not committing to anything.</p>
<p>"Hmm...we'll have to think of something...," her cunning eyes looked at him. "And we'll have to negotiate properly." He gave a sober nod. "Well, I'll let everyone know we've got to think about that as well. They're concerned about if she can handle the requests of what people want to see in the city."</p>
<p>Nyanta bounced lightly on the pads of his feet. "Well, I wonder?"</p>
<p>"You're positively giddy she's arrived, Priest Nyanta!" she scolded him. "What are you hiding under your hat?"</p>
<p>He answered calmly but his perky ears and the sparkle in his eyes were hard to hide. "I think everyone will learn it over time. We'll be here long enough and she is very quick."</p>
<p>"Lacks patience?"</p>
<p>"Her one fault," he said sadly. That put the warning into her file that he wanted as well. Purrcy was actually more patient than she'd assumed, but it would help for Purrcy to have that advantage at the beginning. Her impatience with the midwives had already fueled those rumors as well, so it was only a confirmation at this point.</p>
<p>"Nyanta? The interviews are done," Purrcy voice came to him.</p>
<p>"Can mew meet with our first guest?" he asked her. "Ceridwen, who has been kind enough to help us with the midwives, has come to visit and see if things have met with meowr apurroval."</p>
<p>Purrcy was suddenly on the balcony with them. She looked Ceridwin over carefully. "A non-felinoid goddess?" she asked, surprised, her eyes going distant, then she nodded. "One who loves cats and wisdom would certainly be welcome in a place such as this. How many universities are in the Gate of Time, Lady Ceridwen?</p>
<p>"Oh, and how is Pileides? His foot was rather infected when I ran into him returning from his errand a few months ago. Manticores aren't to be trifled with, even by magical creatures."</p>
<p>Ceridwen smiled. "Pileides recovered nicely, thank you. There are five universities here. Is it from being the Oracle?"</p>
<p>"Yes," Purrcy answered breezily. "The information is patchy, of course, and it takes a while to get everything matched up when I'm in situations like this, but it greatly helps to have the fountain of knowledge ready to pour into my brain...when I'm strong enough to hold even a teaspoon of it," she linked her arm into Nyanta's. "You must have spent almost all of your free time at Ceridwen's temple."</p>
<p>"Yes," he admitted freely and frankly, having now learned that was the much better way to approach her in these matters. "Purrticularly when I was missing mew."</p>
<p>Purrcy looked at Ceridwen. Soberly she said, "Thank you for watching over my husband. His times here were both wonderful and very difficult. Until now he was sent because he wasn't wanted outside any longer, even though he cares for others deeply. This time it's me that's not wanted, I'm afraid, although our family still does and always has, so that's a help as well."</p>
<p>Ceridwen suddenly looked very confused. She could only settle on answering the first thought. "You're very welcome. I'm sorry things are difficult."</p>
<p>"Thank you for your kind thoughts," Purrcy said politely. She tipped her head at Ceridwen.</p>
<p>Before she could open her mouth again, Nyanta said, "Mew seem distracted, my dear. What is it?"</p>
<p>Purrcy pointed to a temple across the plaza. "Why is Libertas here?"</p>
<p>"Cats of Greece were given liberty to wander the land and the temples and were considered divine. Thus, Libertas," he immediately answered her.</p>
<p>Purrcy paused, then opened a chat. "It turns out that Liberty is related to divine cats in Greece. Let Davidius know as soon as you can and have the handbill in Shangtzi modified. It's apparently significant." She returned to the others at the balcony. "Sorry. Because I need to stay all of me, I'm required to work from this location and if I don't do things immediately, they're forgotten in the next moment."</p>
<p>"How are mew speaking outside?" Nyanta asked her.</p>
<p>"Modified spell that I use in the code realm to translate between the levels. Since this city is at the highest level, I can chat out as if I was at the boundary using that realm. Chatting in is harder. They're trying to get the spell written but it's being tricky. Tetorō's spending his most angsty moments distracting himself on it."</p>
<p>"Have you taught them to pray?" Ceridwen asked.</p>
<p>"Yes, of course, and they do," Purrcy answered. "We're experimenting, even though it's harder. My son Tetorō is hard to keep busy and out of trouble so it's a useful thing at the moment for him." She stopped and blinked, then looked at Nyanta with a scorching look.</p>
<p>"What?" he asked mildly. "Mew did that meowrself." Purrcy ground her teeth slightly. Nyanta turned to Ceridwen. "At best mew might get away with calling her a reluctant goddess, but even that will be difficult."</p>
<p>Ceridwen frowned a little and Purrcy waved an irritated hand. "I am not the goddess. Inari-no-Izanami is and I'm her tool. Perhaps she'll give me yet another title soon to give me even more responsibilities I don't have time and energy to be doing, but right now Caretaker is the best one. Although I still maintain Human is the right one, even with the insane modifications we've started in on this last bit."</p>
<p>Nyanta shook his head. Ceridwen relaxed, her concern being answered by that. She'd misunderstood what he'd meant by reluctant, but Purrcy had risen to the other half as fiery as always to fix it just fine. Purrcy was looking out over the temples again. "Will you please tell me which one is whose?"</p>
<p>Nyanta obliged, pointing to them as he went around the circle from their own. Purrcy sighed at the end. "So they go around the rim as well, a great circle to touch the whole earth, and it really is a Gate. That's so mean, Nyanta, that I've been kept from the answer to begin with, when it's here all along."</p>
<p>"Well, I'm not sure mew want all the traffic to go through here."</p>
<p>"No, the technology is here. It all goes through the space realm. This city is a wrinkle in Space, too, not just in Time." She was quiet for a long time, then sighed sadly. "And they won't let me teach it until after the boss battle decides the final drop."</p>
<p>Nyanta's whiskers fell a little. "Not part of the drop if we go home, then?"</p>
<p>"Correct."</p>
<p>"For all I'm the goddess of wisdom in this city, you two are hard to follow," Ceridwen finally admitted.</p>
<p>"It's a side effect of being an Adventurer," Purrcy explained, still distracted with her own puzzle to keep herself busy with. "Get two or more of us together and not talking to a non-Adventurer, and we become incomprehensible. That will change as the background experiences change, if we stay and have descendants."</p>
<p>Nyanta gave a twist of his ear to Ceridwen. "Thank mew for coming to visit. I think we must go and rest now. Were the interviews acceptable, Purrcy?"</p>
<p>"Oh, yes. I'm sorry Ceridwen, when you came to ask after them. Thank you for being kind enough to send them over until we had an understanding. I know that two of the three that are actually acceptable to me are tasked with killing me and the kittens if possible, but again, it isn't, so I'll keep them since I do need competent help or I'm going to have to do it myself, which is rather distracting.</p>
<p>"Please don't worry yourself over it. I know Nyanta, and therefore Izanagi, want it to be part of the power play, so I'll play along. If I need to get revenge after the fact for them being too difficult, I know who to find." Ceridwen was having difficulty knowing how to show a face to Purrcy.</p>
<p>"And no, I won't take the fertility goddesses. They're even more difficult since I'll make even more people angry openly, when keeping it behind the scenes is preferable still, so you'll keep quiet about it, hmm?" Her eyes pierced Ceridwen until Ceridwen promised it in a small voice.</p>
<p>Purrcy turned to face the doors to the balcony briefly, then gave a nod to Ceridwen. Nyanta bowed slightly to her as well, then the balcony and visiting goddess were gone and they were in his living quarters. "Changing the decor were you?" she asked him. "The balcony is essential to us both, I suppose, but being accosted by any god or goddess who can see us there will be annoying. Can that be fixed?"</p>
<p>"She asked if we were appurroachable. I let her come this time to let her know we aren't until after the official announcement and then we can set it however we want whenever it needs to be changed," Nyanta explained.</p>
<p>"Well, good, there's at least protocol." She was large cat, pushing him into his chair in front of the fireplace, then she climbed up into his lap, walked around in a circle once, curled up in a ball and put her nose under her back hip. "Not much longer," she muttered, and relaxed into sleep.</p>
<p>Nyanta pet her with a little smile on his face. He would be patient with her irritability until she'd recovered from the births, but he suspected that it would naturally go away about then. The absentmindedness not likely so much until she had the staff trained and they'd trained her.</p>
<p>The rest of the visit had gone about how Nyanta had hoped it would. In only her first visit Ceridwen was trained, and still had no idea what he'd meant by Purrcy was fast. It would occur to her way too late, after she'd seen the examples that were yet to come.</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>"Sir, it's nice to be in the green again, but -"</p>
<p>"Yeah," Michael agreed quietly, "to quote the movie: 'It's quiet...<em>too</em> quiet'." Gareth nodded. "Take us to one of the aggro zones. Let's force something to come out."</p>
<p>They'd reached the greener (couldn't really be said to be the green they were used to in Yamato) eastern foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountain range. These zones should have been nicely populated with Creatures of the Land. There had to be some incentive to cross the dragon-filled mountains, and good hunting grounds and the dungeons of the deserts had been the main draw.</p>
<p>"Even if they holed up on the coast...you'd think there'd be more life on this side." BlackJack was still unsettled. It had probably made him more unsettled to not have any of his explosions set off the entire six hours and then have to diffuse them himself.</p>
<p>This time Gareth directed them a little more south until they were nearing a set of pines. Michael was pleased enough. This was a higher level zone that spawned hobgoblins and ogres. That was what he wanted. "When they appear, cast to calm the aggro and hold them in place. I want to talk."</p>
<p>The Eagles paired up and spread out into a cup, one magic user behind one fighter. It was a defensive spread for intense magic use. Michael and Gareth stayed centered, already a paired set. They reached the set point and swirls of light brought with them...three ogres.</p>
<p>As Michael stared in some disbelief, the magic users immediately cast. The "battle" was over in one and a half minutes. As soon as the ogres had the enforced aggro removed, they dropped their weapons and put their faces in their hands and sobbed. It was very uncomfortable to watch creatures a foot or more taller than yourself crying when you were used to watching them come at you with angry faces and raised clubs and rusty swords.</p>
<p>Michael cleared his throat and stepped forward. "Um, excuse me, but we aren't interested in fighting. We'd rather talk...if you could calm down. ...And why only three?"</p>
<p>One of them tried, rubbing his face with a dirty sleeve and giving a large snort. "Why Adventurers want talk to ogres?"</p>
<p>"...I don't know if there's a Caretaker of this region, but we've been sent by the Caretaker of Yamato to see how things are here in this place. We've had to call you out because we haven't seen any creatures at all in our travels. Can you tell us why?"</p>
<p>The ogres looked at each other. "All dead. We some of last. Now you call us, we last. They will find village now."</p>
<p>Every Eagle tensed in anger. "We don't want to fight you, but those monsters we <em>are</em> required to fight. Give us the quest to protect your village and take us there." The ogres looked at each other uncertainly.</p>
<p>"Quickly. The Caretaker has required we protect the creatures that remain and the Archmage has required that we defeat all of the Overwritten - those who come to kill the creatures. If your village dies, you and we have both failed."</p>
<p>"What ogres give Adventurers for quest?"</p>
<p>"Maybe you have something, maybe you don't. We'll worry about it later."</p>
<p>The ogres shifted uncomfortably, but finally their worry for their village won out and they turned and led the Eagles farther into the woods and into the mountains. They had a warren run through the trees and up and down the hills and little rivulet valleys until they came to one that ran a little farther up into the mountains and was well protected.</p>
<p>The ogres stopped outside the entrance to the valley, crouched down. "Village went to hide, but they come there," the main one pointed to the central part of the back of the valley.</p>
<p>"Are you three the last ones that can fight at all?" Michael asked. They nodded soberly. "Go to where they hide to protect them. Take two with you so that if they know how to find you directly we can come help you. We'll do what we can here."</p>
<p>Reed assigned P/R and H/R to go with the ogres and gave the orders for the rest of them. They were already seeing motion in the mountain above the valley as the Overwritten descended to find the village.</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>"Damn," Avionics grumbled. "Does everything nasty come big around here?"</p>
<p>"Well, they did warn us that they were worst in China and over here," Compliance answered back.</p>
<p>They were divided into their parties of six (minus one party since they were missing six at the local fight), one per Overwritten and it was taking time to get them down in HP. Not that that was unusual. It was just a little frustrating that they had to use the purified swords to do it instead of their favorites that would do a faster job of it.</p>
<p>It didn't help that they were missing Clocktower, too. His blessed arrows helped a lot. They had Aviation Safety and Records, but missing even one set of arrows mattered. BlackJack finally cursed and leaped to the side. "I'm out for a bit. Gonna switch these bullets over to purified, but want to make something big."</p>
<p>"Fine," his party said and the rest of them agreed.</p>
<p>"Bowie, give him your attention; we'll fill in the gap," Reed ordered. He was battle monitor so could switch them out, and if BlackJack was going to create something big, he'd need healing help along the way.</p>
<p>Five minutes later BlackJack called for a pull back and cast. The two smaller Overwritten went down and the third was done another three turns of pounding later. It was a good thing they went up in bubbles. That one would have filled the valley upon collapse.</p>
<p>Michael landed next to the drop. They'd collect the drops, even though they were so horrible because the Navigators overwrote the Overwritten onto the description code of the monsters starting at the first listed drop and then as far down as they needed to. It was irritating that the good drops listed first got erased.</p>
<p>Michael looked down at his feet. This time, there was a rather decent drop for the smallest of the Overwritten. He stepped over to it and put his hand down to pick it up. It was like it had been added as an afterthought to the drop list, it was so nice in comparison to the normal drops. That made his hand pause just before wrapping around the neck of the ForeverWine bottle.</p>
<p>He went into the code on the item first, to read and make sure it wasn't a bomb in disguise added by some evil Programmer or Hacker. In the programmer comments, at the end, was an additional line. "# # A Thank You gift to the friends of the Caretaker: those who are the firm Defenders of the Weak. - Thanks, Michael. -C.P." His hand closed slowly around the neck of the bottle.</p>
<p>"What is it, Sir?"</p>
<p>"Yeah, why the tears? It's just a bottle of wine - although it's sweet it's one of the rare ones that never runs out."</p>
<p>"Just feeling sentimental," he answered as he put the bottle in his item list. "We'll celebrate with that at the end when the big one finally goes down." He wondered if it was a result of their little trip through the Gate of Time, or if she'd planted it way back when they'd been up on the moon together after the graduation ceremony.</p>
<p>"What do we ask for from a dinky village of ogres?" Secretary asked (he was also the Treasurer).</p>
<p>"We don't need anything," Michael said. "If they want to offer something ask if they've got a magic item they don't need. Otherwise ask that they just remember us - that there are some Adventurers that live their commitments and give their all to what they believe."</p>
<p>He turned away and looked up at the top of the mountain they were near. "And ask them where the nest of the Overwritten is. We need to take them all out." He moved up into the trees and sat near the top of one while he waited for the clean up.</p>
<p>Ten minutes later Gareth showed up in the next branch over and looked at him, judging him. Whatever he decided, he said, "They've given us a teenager to lead us, but we're to send him back when we're close enough. His mother's not keen on losing him since he's all she's got anymore."</p>
<p>Michael nodded. "How many Creatures remain in the area generally? Do they have an idea?"</p>
<p>"Almost none. A few pockets here and there, and they say no Adventurers have come through here except a few in the first year or so and they were the typical sort."</p>
<p>"Are they going to survive, or die off on their own?"</p>
<p>Gareth gave him another look, then said softly, "Was that her signature?"</p>
<p>Michael looked away. "It was her thank you."</p>
<p>"Just won't leave you alone, will she?" It was said kindly.</p>
<p>"No. It's a pain." Michael sighed and climbed down. Gareth followed him closely after a single pat on the shoulder, until they reached the rest of the sub-guild.</p>
<p>There were worried looks going around and he looked at them until they spoke. "We're taking an awfully long time, Commander. Are we going to make it in time?"</p>
<p>"Your favorite Den Mother knew we were going to be here. What do you think?" He turned to the young ogre. "Lead away. We've got things to do."</p>
<p>"Did she ask you to do it?" he was asked as they got moving.</p>
<p>"Nope. I chose it all on my own and she still stuck her nose in it and had to thank us for doing whatever we want to do."</p>
<p>They were silent until they were three mountain tops over and one south. The young ogre pointed to the other side of the mountain, then looked ready to take off. Michael held him while two of the Eagles went up to look over. There was a brief glance and then they were headed back down, giving a thumbs-up. Michael let the ogre go and he scampered off as fast as he could go.</p>
<p>"Large group, like the third level of the Maze in China and a few extra big ones thrown in. Rather randomly strewn around the bowl."</p>
<p>"Fish in a Bowl?" Reed asked.</p>
<p>"Mostly. A few exits west and north."</p>
<p>"We're kind of a small group for it. Direct attack's not going to work."</p>
<p>Michael sighed. "I'll go up and take a look. Go find running water. Gareth...," Michael looked at him and he sighed back and nodded. Michael moved off, running through the trees until he reached the peak of the mountain and carefully climbed a tree on the ridge until he was high enough to see as much as he could see in the bowl.</p>
<p>It did look rather daunting for their grouping, particularly for the fact their time was short. He was going to have to do it and they might not like it so much. He marked locations then climbed back down and headed back to the group.</p>
<p>Water had been found by the time he got back and he took them all over to the little mountain stream, then walked them back up it until they reached the spring where it bubbled up from. "The fastest way to deal with that many at once is a ceremonial purification spell. You'll be the acolytes and I'll be the priest.</p>
<p>"You're going to set at equidistant points around the bowl and help me cast the spell. It's got a long preparation time, like fifteen minutes, and then an almost five minute cast time. You have to stay put and keep your intention on purification of the Overwritten for the first fifteen. The last five you're going to feel like you don't exist on this plane anymore.</p>
<p>"Set your protections before we begin. If any one of you falls we'll all get the rebound, so don't let them catch wind of you either. First to be purified will head to the opposite side as you'll take the longest to get in position having to cross the gaps. We'll work around from there until we're filled in around. I get the East spot, but won't head there until the final purification is done." That would be his own and it was longer, but they didn't need to know it.</p>
<p>"Is it really the best solution, Sir?" Reed asked quietly "We could mark them on the map and come back later, or send the local Adventurers once we're done at the Maze."</p>
<p>Michael shook his head. "Purrcy told me back when I let her know we were about to fetch her: this place is hard hit and leaving any we find behind us will get us into trouble. We've got time enough for this one-shot." When he had agreement from everyone, he motioned to Gareth.</p>
<p>Gareth took out his ritual scoop and scooped water from the spring. They'd all seen this before at Log Horizon when Purrcy had come home, although they'd used the sink then. Michael held out his hands and Gareth poured some of the water into them. He washed his hands, then held out his hands for more water. This time he slurped some into his mouth, rinsed his mouth out and spat the water on the ground.</p>
<p>He clapped twice, bowed, and clapped again. "Inari-no-Izanami, please grant this man who has been taught the ceremony of purification the power to purify the valley of Overwritten that our quest of eradication may be completed upon them." He bowed again, then turned to the next Eagle and motioned him forward.</p>
<p>Reed stepped up and looked at Michael. "Is this really okay, or do we need to take you down?"</p>
<p>Michael looked at him dispassionately. "Do you want to go home or not? You decide if you believe Shiroe or not. We've been given orders by him if that's what we want. If I use and abuse what tools were given to me for my own purpose in seeing Shiroe's orders fulfilled what is that to them?"</p>
<p>Reed finally said, "Fine, but you keep walking shaky ground."</p>
<p>Michael didn't bother answering. He motioned to Gareth and made sure Reed did it right, then did his own part until all the Eagles had taken their turn. It was rather appropriate, really. They kept following what the Game Bot wanted them to do anyway - which was play the game however they wanted to. As long as they kept playing Izanami would be perfectly satisfied.</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>Purrcy moaned and was awake. She groaned. She really hated being a cat giving birth. Well, actually she hated being a felinoid giving birth. She switched to cat, staying a little larger this time than house-cat. She didn't have to shrink to box size this time.</p>
<p>She did pull herself off the bed, though. That wasn't the place to give birth. She was panting and the moans were now cat-growls and groans. She barely registered Nyanta calling for the midwives to wake up. They'd stayed the night in the sitting room. Purrcy called to Izanami and told her she was going to have to keep them all alive, but please to not kill the people helping her in the process.</p>
<p>Hands were picking her up and she shrank. As soon as she was on the softer blanket they laid out as the birthing mat, she was larger again. As soon as she heard the words, "It's okay. We're here," she was gone, letting the natural cat handle the birthing on it's own.</p>
<p>She paid just enough attention to make sure the logical, medical side was going okay and she wasn't needed to help things slow down or move along when the natural body wanted to move things along in ways it shouldn't. The relieving thing to this birthing was that she didn't have to do the midwifing for herself. She could relax and let others do it for her.</p>
<p>The first kitten was born and Purrcy-cat dutifully cleaned it enough to help it breathe and to know the scent of its mother and the mother to identify the kitten. The kitten was then passed off to one set of capable hands, while Nyanta glared at the person attached to those hands, obvious guardian of his family.</p>
<p>When those hands froze and the whole body did as well, Nyanta removed the kitten from the hands. "Mew've forgotten that mew stand in the purresence of the gods of Creation and mew are one of their creations - to leave standing or to erase in one instant. Mew will obediently care for the kittens and my wife."</p>
<p>When Izanami was content that one would be obedient - by erasing that person's memories of having agreed to the murder and betrayal and locking down her will, Nyanta put the kitten back into her hands and she went to obediently care for the kitten properly.</p>
<p>Satisfied, Purrcy went back to monitor the birth of the second kitten, who was on its way. She could tell that one of the midwives with her was the other traitor and it was making both her and Purrcy-cat nervous so she asked Izanami to take care of that one immediately rather than wait for the betrayal to begin. Izanami refused, but she didn't have to wait long.</p>
<p>She'd thought the midwife would wait until she was fully weakened at the end, but apparently she wasn't willing to let any more kittens be born and wanted to finish them all off at once. That midwife was frozen as the second kitten slipped out and Purrcy-cat began the ministrations required.</p>
<p>The unfrozen midwife took care of that kitten as if nothing unusual was happening - because for her it wasn't. She was being kept unaware. The traitor was unfrozen and "repaired" by the time the third kitten was ready to be born. The first midwife was back by the fourth, putting the first kitten into Nyanta's hands on the way past him to return to Purrcy.</p>
<p>When the fourth kitten was taken to be cleaned, rubbed dry, and have a brief medical check performed, Nyanta walked over to the birthing mat and set the first kitten near Purrcy. The little nose wiggled and sniffled and the kitten struggled until it reached her belly.</p>
<p>As it hunted for a teat, Nyanta pet Purrcy's head. "Well done, Hahaue. I'll come join mew when we can be alone again." She gave a flick of an ear, brushing it against his wrist. She couldn't bring herself to lift her head or speak she was so tired in that form.</p>
<p>She really did miss Tetorō. He'd spoiled her with healing her immediately after every action that needed it. Before having him next to her she'd always just slept it off. She closed her eyes and began to do just that.</p>
<p>Just to be sure, she put a reverse mirror room around herself and the birthing mat to keep them all safe from distance magic attacks. She'd already put one around the entire apartment that was permanent. It was just an extra precaution because she slept better that way - having her paranoia soothed.</p>
<p>She opened her eyes later to soft but firm warmth at her back and the new smells tucked in to her belly, sleeping off their own efforts. She shoved her nose into the pile sniffing at each one, the natural cat categorizing health level, sex, and other similar details as she did so.</p>
<p>Two of each, male and female. One of the females was slightly weaker than the rest, being the second youngest. Her younger brother had helped push her out, wanting to come quicker but behind in order. It hadn't given her enough strength from the lessened struggle, but she would be okay. It wasn't that much of a problem. Felinoids and humans knew how to make sure even the weakest got enough to eat, and she could learn the strength through further struggles from now on.</p>
<p>On another level, she recognized one in the pile as the original Nureha. Purrcy blinked her eyes to focus on the ears. Yes, they were one black and one grey. The other female was grey, similar to her father. The boys - one was all black. Likely the Plague Master reborn, and this time he wouldn't remember that past. The other was black with white, swirled together.</p>
<p>They wouldn't know who he was or what Adventurer had died to become that one. They knew the second female wasn't Indicus by now, but who she was was also a mystery. Purrcy wondered if they might be People of the Land psyche or perhaps Heroes who'd died at the hands of the Overwritten instead of Adventurers. It wouldn't be a surprise to have Inari decide to run that kind of experiment as well.</p>
<p>She finished smelling them and sighed, then began to groom the closest one. A tongue began to lick her own neck and she paused to look over her shoulder. Nyanta was a larger cat than she was, protectively curled around all of her and watching over the whole family. She lifted her nose and touched his nose in a cat-kiss.</p>
<p>She looked at him for a moment again, then went back to the grooming. It was also necessary for the full bonding of the kittens to their mother. They'd spend at least the next two days fully cat and kittens. She wasn't sure of the full details of it all, although the midwives had taught her some of the process the first day after the interviews. It was relieving to know these wouldn't be taken from her today, like the other times.</p>
<p>She gave an involuntary shudder, but tried to ignore it. "Mmm, mew'd best talk about it and get it out of the system, I think?" the psychologist behind her disagreed.</p>
<p>Purrcy sighed. "I was just thinking of how hard it was to have the other two litters stolen from me on this day and that I'm glad today won't be the same."</p>
<p>Nyanta moved to groom her shoulder and what he could reach of the front bib and then the side of her neck. She let his steady soothing wash away the pain of those days as she also allowed herself the luxury of focusing on the four kittens in front of her.</p>
<p>Nyanta's larger tongue caught one of the male kittens on the cheek and he stirred, his natural system alerting him to a smell that wasn't recognized. Nyanta noticed and then proceeded to lean over Purrcy and in about four licks groom that kitten to wakefulness, then relaxation. Grooming was how they knew the smell was an okay smell to be trusted.</p>
<p>Purrcy picked that one up by the scruff of his neck with her teeth and moved him out of the pile and Nyanta moved to the next one. Purrcy licked the first one all over the face, enjoying getting to see the "<em>Mo-om! REally? Just Stop!</em>" look.</p>
<p>They wouldn't open their eyes for a while. The midwives said they'd learn to transform into the felinoid form after watching Purrcy and Nyanta do it a few times. They'd struggle with the control for a while, but since it was a natural transformation, they'd get it eventually like all infants and babies learned everything. And they'd learn it fastest if they transformed into felinoid in the middle of nursing. That sounded funny, actually, if they didn't smash their siblings in the process.</p>
<p>There was a respectful knock at the door and Nyanta and Purrcy both turned their heads to face it. "It's Marco. I've come with food for Her Eminence."</p>
<p>Nyanta turned and said in her ear. "I thought it would be a good test of his loyalty to ask him to bring it himself as if I distrusted others and trusted him to see it was safe to eat."</p>
<p>Purrcy nodded and moved the kitten she'd pulled out of the pile back into it as Nyanta called for Marco to enter. She set the permission on the room for him to come in as the door opened. Marco entered the room and closed the door behind him.</p>
<p>He stepped to the edge of the area they'd opened up for the family to rest in. Somehow they'd cleaned it all up while Purrcy had been asleep, even though she'd been in the middle of it all, and moved them out into the sitting room to be in front of the warm fireplace. A magically created fire was dancing cozily in the grate.</p>
<p>Marco set a platter on the floor at the edge of the mat, then knelt near it, although not near enough to be threatening or rude. "Thank you, Marco," Purrcy said, the smells drawing her. "I'll need water as well, please." She struggled to her feet. Nyanta propped her up a bit until she was steady, then leaned back to give her room as she moved out from the pile.</p>
<p>Marco hadn't moved, his blue eyes fixed to Purrcy's form. She blinked at him as she reached the plate. He startled, then bowed. "If I may say it, Your Eminence is beautifully patterned." Marco himself had creamy fur with a darker face over the mouth, white gloves on his hands, and his stockiness suited him.</p>
<p>"Thank you. That's the joy of getting to pick," she answered. "I enjoy being able to carry the galaxies and stars with me. We're naturally at the cusp of becoming star voyagers on our home world and we find it a very exciting prospect."</p>
<p>She pointedly bent her head to the plate and delicately picked up the first piece to began eating it. It was very relieving that they knew how to feed cats here. The meat was sweet, raw, and cut to the right size. It was also a light poultry given her delicate healing state. That was also very relieving.</p>
<p>A dish of water was quietly placed next to the platter and she paused to lap at it, quenching her burning thirst. She paused, then crouched next to the platter for a moment, to settle her stomach. "Hmm, that's interesting."</p>
<p>Purrcy went into the upper realm and modified the poison that only made itself known when water was added. When that was repaired, she sniffed the platter again and followed the footprints of the scents, then gave the young male felinoid lower chef an awful illness that was temporary but would be an effective cursing and reminder. She followed his history back to the person whom he'd accepted the request from.</p>
<p>She continued in that pattern until she reached the person at the top. Then she sent her High Priestess avatar and roundly scolded that person and locked them down: completely aware inside and unable to act outside, for a full two days, as a warning.</p>
<p>She only had the food half eaten by the time she came back. Marco was still sitting there, waiting. "If you're waiting for me to die so you can report back, it's not going to happen," she said calmly.</p>
<p>"I'm not," he answered back. "I'm merely observing and waiting for you to be done so I can take the dishes back without you having to hunt me down."</p>
<p>Purrcy took his statement at face value, it had been said so mildly. "What was Li Shou like when she was in the temple?"</p>
<p>Marco's ear turned in a bit of humor as he held everything else still. "Stern and noble, of course. She enjoyed flowers, however, and we could get her to relax by placing the right ones in the vases around the temple."</p>
<p>"Did she read in her spare time, do hand arts, or chat with others?" she asked.</p>
<p>"She would do calligraphy or flower arranging," he answered.</p>
<p>"Hoh, so ordered of mind as to find enjoyment in creative organization, then." Purrcy paused and glanced at him. He gave a nod.</p>
<p>"I can understand that, although those two aren't quite free form enough for me. I like slightly less structure from myself. That, of course, means that those under me need to pick up the slack." His whiskers gave a twitch of wry comprehension.</p>
<p>"I am very detail focused, however, and will ask about them even if I've given them to someone else to handle. I like the reassurance to know they haven't fallen through the cracks. That may have to be trained out of me to some degree, I'm sure; I already don't have the time. But then I'll also have to trust the person given the responsibilities as well, that they won't let the details I care about be forgotten."</p>
<p>She looked up into his eyes and could see a person reflected in them. "Set him as my secretary, if you've picked one out that fast. I have to have someone like that by my side to hold my temper for me when things are getting chaotic."</p>
<p>Marco bowed. "I understand."</p>
<p>Purrcy sat up, finished with her eating, and looked at Marco in the face. "You are well placed, I think, although I've yet to see how you deal with the other side you must face.</p>
<p>"I also like flowers and other plant material set around where I am. I'm a wild Adventurer that had to be brought into the city to be tamed. It reminds me of where I'd rather be and helps me to stay put better. But the slightly more wild arrangements are better than the formal stuffy ones, or I'll run from them as well. I have restraint, and will bow to it when it's required, I just hate having it forced on me."</p>
<p>She blinked, then looked around at Nyanta. "<em>He</em> is far more formal and stuffy than I, so will be the restraint you should listen to, but every once in a while, gift me what I want to keep me happy when he's not looking. It will make your life easier." She stuck her tongue out the side of her mouth in a cat grin at Nyanta then looked back at Marco.</p>
<p>"That probably goes across the board. I'll want the wild nature print blanket with touches of color to delight me and he'll want the basic dark red with dull geometric print. The maids will want to learn when to put which things in the room and where.</p>
<p>"He'll want to keep the order and structure in the temple and I'll want to pull everyone into one big family hug, then turn around and scold everyone, followed by a lick to heal it all up and breeze out the door to go flying for a turn, to come back with smiles ready to work seriously again. We'll find the balance eventually."</p>
<p>Marco finally gave her a genuine smile. "It's good you know your own self so well."</p>
<p>"That can happen when you've had to live with yourself for a long time," she nodded wisely but laughed at herself at the same time. Nyanta snorted to see her double again.</p>
<p>"And you can make His Excellency laugh?" Marco put on amazement. "That is indeed a feat, then." Nyanta glared at Marco, who ignored it and looked at Purrcy politely.</p>
<p>"Ah, ah," she said with a shake of the head. "Don't provoke him. I don't know if it's friendly banter yet or rivalry and I'll not come in the middle of the latter."</p>
<p>"My pardons," Marco bowed slightly. "I see it as banter, myself."</p>
<p>Purrcy looked at Nyanta again. He wasn't looking at them but his ear flicked dismissively. "He doesn't like it, though, regardless," Purrcy looked at Marco until he relented, then leaned in and whispered in pretend conspiracy. "I'll teach you what is acceptable and then you can tease him all you want."</p>
<p>A large paw pushed her to the floor and she laughed and purred as Nyanta groomed her roughly in punishment. "You need more friends, Nyanta. Relax a little. He's a good man, if under a lot of stress trying to keep up with all of his own tasks. Let him be your Naotsugu while we're here."</p>
<p>Nyanta stopped and looked into her eyes. His greens were a little liquid, a little unsure. She grew enough she could pat his nose with her paw gently. "It's okay to miss them, and it's okay to find substitutes while we're here. It will be for a long time. Don't hurt that long. They want us to heal as much as we can, like we want them to heal. Let that go."</p>
<p>He took his paw off of her and sat, looking a little lost still. Purrcy rolled to her feet and grew until she could groom him on the top of the head and around the ears. "Really, Nyanta. You can relax now. Slowly we'll grow back into Hahaue and Chichiue. The children will help remind us how to be happy and peaceful again. Those who can become friends here will do the same."</p>
<p>Marco bowed. "I would be honored if I could be considered a friend of Nyanta and Purrcy when they are ready to accept such a thing."</p>
<p>Purrcy sat next to Nyanta so they were both looking at him and waited. Nyanta finally took a breath. "I forget that when mew move quickly that can include myself." He bowed politely to Marco. "I will hope to be able to accept such a thing in the near future, when I've had my wife by my side long enough to relax and remember that the rest of the world isn't all out to see to my demise."</p>
<p>Purrcy let her tail brush against his back to encourage him and as reward for being able to go even that far this time. "It shouldn't take that long. He'll become annoyed with me soon enough and seek you out for some semblance of normal court life to remember that the order he loves is actually the norm and he hasn't gone insane." She laughed with her tongue again.</p>
<p>Nyanta turned to her, but this time it was give her a nose kiss and lick her cheek. "I'm glad to see mew in a much better mood today, my dear."</p>
<p>Purrcy sighed. "Well...perhaps it's that. And perhaps it's a friendly face in a strange place and I'm too unrestrained and wishing I was already at home. I won't mind the scold, but I am going to have to go back to sleep now. That's all this body can take at this time.</p>
<p>"If you'll excuse me," she bowed to Nyanta and walked back to the kittens, going in head first this time so they'd be on the opposite side for their next meal. She nosed them all on her way back, then settled down to curl around them again with a sigh.</p>
<p>Marco picked up the platter, leaving the water dish. "Congratulations on the birth of your children. They're beautiful. May they be as wise as their parents, as well." He bowed to them all again as they accepted his words, then he left them quietly to return to being a new expanded immediate family.</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>Ikiryō-Purrcy pulled out; the one form wouldn't tax her system too long. She planted an unfelt kiss on the top of Nyanta's head as he headed for the bathroom. She watched him until the door closed behind him, feeling a little sad, but also a little hopeful for him. Then she slipped into the hall and followed Marco.</p>
<p>Keeping herself very small and invisible, she watched him as he went to the kitchen, fired the young man who'd fallen ill, informed the kitchen in no uncertain terms were they to allow poisons to enter the temple again, and explained that even if they did it wouldn't matter to the new mistress. She wasn't killable. It <em>would</em> matter to the rest of the city and it was their duty to see that the city was kept safe for the sake of their mistress and master.</p>
<p>Being in the kitchen made her want to go and cook right then, so she explored a bit as Marco was pressed for gossip and he let slip what was fine to talk about. She picked out the chef assistants she was going to corner first thing and gave them little blessings that would keep them unfired and help their cooking skills just enough, but not too much.</p>
<p>She also figured out which of the upper level chefs might let them sneak in and use the kitchen to begin with, although she thought she'd be able to make the head chef at least an ally. She left a little sample bribe for her on the desk in the office to at least make her curious.</p>
<p>Marco went from the kitchen to other places in the temple, working his rounds of the day. The maids and châtelaine were next, to pass along her preferences for decor. Purrcy followed after the two maids assigned to their room and gave them nudges as they searched through the closets until they'd picked some things that she liked well enough, then went hunting Marco again.</p>
<p>She found him talking to the head gardener of all people. She looked around the garden, listening with half an ear, but she was sad. The two were looking through a book of arrangements and ways to order a garden, for the long-term. She made the pages flutter a bit, skimming the pictures, and making it pause on things that caught her fancy. Finally, near the back of the book she found what she was looking for. Tall trees in a stately arrangement.</p>
<p>She left the page open to that picture and when they moved to the next page, she put it back. She did it three times until Marco sighed and let her know they'd understood, but he didn't promise so she left it alone, rising up to look over the entire city.</p>
<p>She was even more sad when she looked over the entire city and not a single tree top could be seen. There had been a few small, very trimmed, decorative ones in pots along her walk into the city, but there were no real trees in all of the Gate of Time.</p>
<p>She went back to following Marco, floating along beside him, feeling sad. He finally twitched an ear and paused in the hallway he was in. She sighed and asked him, "Why? Why are there no trees?"</p>
<p>"They're too large for our gardener's magics to keep tamed. The large trees live a very long time and when Time was constantly changing they grew to become warped things that were considered unsightly. Tall straight trees like that would be acceptable, I think, to be graceful with the graceful buildings, but it would be new and only possible now that Time is linear here, I think."</p>
<p>"Oh. That would have been reasonable, although still sad. ...Are there any Druids in the Gate of Time at all? Are the gardeners using Druid magic?"</p>
<p>"Perhaps, but none of them are strong enough to affect a fully grown tree of that size."</p>
<p>"Ceridwen is Welsh and the druids are native to that land. Ask her," Purrcy said. "Perhaps she will know of a way."</p>
<p>"Yes, Eminence." He paused. "Are you going to continue to follow me about?"</p>
<p>"Yes, although now I'll not be able to spy on you since you'll know for certain I am. I think it's the best way to learn where everything is quickly and who I should know and the how of the running of the temple so I can be sensitive to your own requirements.</p>
<p>"If I just watch, you won't have to be asked questions to distraction. I'm almost more curious than the typical four and five year old. As I said, I need to know the details so I can be at peace and let you just do your work in that same peace."</p>
<p>He glared at her space and she wondered if he could almost see her. Some people had that skill, to see spirits. "I could introduce you to your secretary and let him give you the tour."</p>
<p>"Okay. Then I can spy on you later without you knowing. Then you won't have to feel grumpy or nervous."</p>
<p>"You really are a child."</p>
<p>Purrcy laughed. "Sometimes I'm given that luxury, yes. It causes even my own family here on Theldesia to call me the spoiled princess, but because they like to see me smile, they're tolerant. I'm grateful to them for that."</p>
<p>Marco settled back and relaxed, then bowed. "If you can find such a place, then it is good for any of us. But I would much prefer to let you meet your own secretary now."</p>
<p>"It's acceptable," she answered politely. She checked his detailed status as they walked along and sighed. He'd been made a priest. He could see her in this form and most of them, actually. He looked at her with a question and she didn't answer.</p>
<p>"If I may ask...," he tentatively offered, "...how old are you really? You do seem rather young."</p>
<p>Purrcy sighed to herself almost sadly. "I am young of heart, young in the ways of The Gate of Time and temples, shrines, and the gods and goddesses of this world, young in the comprehension of all things that make one wise.</p>
<p>"But I am very old with experiences, old with the numbers of years I've lived, old with the wisdom that comes to the aged who've lived and seen things they treasure and would never wish to see or live again.</p>
<p>"Adventurers do not give other people their ages. We are something different here than we were at home, but I will tell you that of all the Adventurers that were brought, I am among the oldest, if not the oldest. Older than even Nyanta who has the distinction of also being in that category. Because he loves to see the young me, he helps me to remember to not be too sad.</p>
<p>"It's why I was chosen as the Caretaker. Because I was already a mother at home, my desire was to help any creature who had need of my help, a rare thing among Adventurers and People of the Land alike.</p>
<p>"I've already learned the blindness of a mother to the differences of the children. They're all creatures who feel, think, need, hurt, desire. It is a mother's role to meet those needs as best they can and to comfort when they can't remove the pain or the lesson.</p>
<p>"The World AI, Izanagi, saw me act in behalf of his creations and desired me for his own purposes. In his way, he loves me - even though that isn't really possible for a creature like him. But it was enough that he let me suggest the one who would become the High Priest so that he could finish out his required tasks properly.</p>
<p>"Nyanta was willing when I asked him, for his own purposes, even though at the time he didn't love me and couldn't. I was grateful for at least that much, because the child in me needs the father in him. Because I could be mother for him, he discovered he had a need for me like a child.</p>
<p>"Many things have happened since then and we have a relationship that's as close as we will ever come to the kind and tender love of husband and wife that should exist. We'll be for our children the best parents we can be, knowing how from before, but perhaps there will come a day where we must be separated again. We'll be sad, but not surprised. If we're both healed and whole, that day will be possible."</p>
<p>Purrcy closed her eyes and her ears fell. "I will meet my secretary later. Thank you, Marco, for letting me follow you."</p>
<p>She was whole again, in her cat form shivering next to Nyanta who was purring and rubbing his head on her head, trying to comfort her. She curled up into him, transforming into the child felinoid form, needing once again as so many times in that lonely shrine to have him hold her. She cried as he purred and finally was able to hold her and comfort her.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Special's Prison Redux</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The bowl of the Overwritten glowed brilliant white. Michael held it until the last (large) Overwritten monster disappeared in the rainbow bubbles of death on this world. He collapsed upon releasing the driving intent to purify and just lay on the ground. The rest would be doing the same.</p>
<p>He drifted in and out of consciousness for a while and wasn't too surprised when during one of the times he was aware, Purrcy came to visit him. "Are you in my when?" he asked her.</p>
<p>"I couldn't be anything other than that, Michael. You know that. They couldn't send me through Time before that quest was over. I can go backwards now, but there's no coming forward for me from those times."</p>
<p>She bent down and brushed her hand over his forehead. "I could see, though, because of the permutations they're capable of measuring and calculating. The Oracles are the most likely, most weighted probabilities. Only rarely are they wrong in those."</p>
<p>"Which is why they knew I'd be trying to kill them but didn't care."</p>
<p>"Correct. It was just an opportunity to show the futility of it." Her answer was rather painful to hear, if obvious - now. She was always just a little too direct, a little too logical when he was looking for sympathy.</p>
<p>"You know, I've been having troubles moving forward since then." He wanted her to hurt with his own hurt, although it was petty.</p>
<p>"I know," she smiled kindly. "But you're doing well regardless, still making your own decisions."</p>
<p>"I'm sorry I wasn't able to kill you properly." That he <em>was</em> sorry he couldn't have done, since he'd promised her he would.</p>
<p>She shrugged. "You tried. Maybe when we get back to Earth you can try again. I won't want to be there so I won't mind if you wanted to."</p>
<p>He scowled at her and would have hit her except he still couldn't move yet and with no MP either he couldn't even hit her with a Spark. "Idiot," he said instead. "Always giving me unreasonable demands."</p>
<p>She patted him on the head, then looked around. "The rest are starting to recover, but they'll have to sit with you a while."</p>
<p>She looked at him soberly. "This wasn't all of the Overwritten, although I think it's the largest of the nests. You'll need to call in help, but you need to move on and do it later. There'll be time before the final battle for you to finish it up, particularly if the Adventurers you're going to rescue have enough desire to help you."</p>
<p>She sighed. "That's not going to be an easy revelation either, Michael. If you need support, pray again and I'll come strengthen you. Izanami is letting me be the Game Administrator for now while it's focused on the permutations."</p>
<p>He lifted an eyebrow. "It's letting you on your own? It trusts you that much?"</p>
<p>Purrcy smiled and pet him softly. "It's just more game play to it anyway. I would have to say it's wondering what amusing things I'll start with my randomness. Games always need a random factor to them to be interesting, you know."</p>
<p>"Yeah, that's you all right," he teased her dryly. "Except you follow the predicted patterns, too."</p>
<p>"Do I, Michael?" she asked mildly. "Well, perhaps. Don't die before you get there. I can't bring you back here."</p>
<p>"I can walk back," he said. "It's the boys I'm more worried about."</p>
<p>"Are they still mad at me?" she asked him.</p>
<p>He closed his eyes and sighed. It wasn't worth answering and he was passing out again anyway. He felt a fuzzy kiss light on his cheek and wanted to swear. She was going to be the death of him yet.</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>"Gareth...he can't let her go, can he?" Brenner's voice was quiet, located somewhere to Michael's left. He was on his back now, not his side, and the light weight of a blanket was on top of him. He stayed still and quiet. He was feeling better, but not like moving just yet.</p>
<p>"...Not like she'll let him," Gareth answered back, a bit muffled.</p>
<p>"... True enough. She makes a choice and everyone lives with it." It was a statement, but it held some of the frustration the rest all held.</p>
<p>That was the hardest thing Purrcy couldn't ever be told. Everyone had some germ of the feeling she was Izanami herself from the beginning and the anger and hatred kept getting turned from the Game Bot towards her. But Michael knew she already knew it. That's why the last question and why it wasn't worth answering.</p>
<p>They weren't home yet and the AIs weren't dead yet. It was probably only going to be worse now, now that she would be answering requests. He couldn't stop the sigh and Gareth's hand was on his shoulder.</p>
<p>"You awake, Sir?" Gareth asked.</p>
<p>"Barely," he answered, "but better than the last time I was." Maybe. It was hard to want to wake up at all.</p>
<p>Another set of feet stepped to his side and Brenner's voice was very soft. "Mike...," Brenner wasn't sure what to say. "Can you stay alive a little while longer?"</p>
<p>"I don't know," he said honestly. "It was a harsh lesson learning how small we are here on this planet, even if we are needed to help out. Only babysitting the rest of you is keeping me going."</p>
<p>"Well that's a good reason for now. ...Is there something that can keep you going after that?"</p>
<p>Michael opened his eyes and looked into Brenner's. "You already know the answer to that one, and I didn't say it nor do I believe it."</p>
<p>Brenner took in a deep breath, then nodded. "Keep it that way, but if it's all you've got, hang on to it."</p>
<p>"Not like she's going to let me go anyway," he said closing his eyes. "Purrcy's been promoted temporarily."</p>
<p>Gareth groaned. "...Did she show up, then?" Brenner asked.</p>
<p>"Yes. She says there's more Overwritten nests, but we're to move on and see if we can get help after the current phase is done. She also said whatever we're expecting from the Adventurers to stop expecting it.</p>
<p>"...I think we need a cover story. We'd better not let on we came across the ocean. Have everyone noodle on that until I'm up on my feet again. When we've recovered we'll fly to get over as much of the mountain range as we can."</p>
<p>"What about the dragons?" Gareth frowned.</p>
<p>"You seen any yet?" Michael asked bitterly. Even if they were the hardest of the Creatures of the Land to deal with in this part of the world, to have the majestic beings hunted to extinction or near extinction by the Overwritten was a hard pill to swallow.</p>
<p>He opened his eyes. Both other men were looking sad. "I'd rather pull them up to see they're still living. We'll fly." They gave him obedient nods and Brenner rose to walk away from them and towards the rest of the grouping.</p>
<p>When Brenner told them to back off so he could get into the heart of a matter, they backed off. His job was to keep them alive until they had to face death. Michael might be preferring death at the moment, but he wasn't really facing it, so he was being helped to stay alive.</p>
<p>Michael wasn't sure he liked being on that end of things. "How much longer before you can cast the next round of spells?" he asked Gareth.</p>
<p>"Ten minutes," Gareth's voice was muffled again. He was sitting with his knees up and his arms wrapped around them, his chin on his knees.</p>
<p>Michael sighed and reached a hand for him. "What do you need to hear, Gareth?"</p>
<p>"I don't like seeing you brought this low," Gareth said angrily. "To have to rely on that to stay alive's not like you."</p>
<p>Michael didn't look away. "What did <em>you</em> see, Gareth, when time was stopped? What did you feel?"</p>
<p>Gareth was silent for a while, then he shuddered. "It was big. So big I felt like I'd suddenly had the earth drop out from underneath me and I was just floating - or falling - continuously, my stomach doing the loops while my brain tried to comprehend the spinning of a free-fall drop. When the earth clomped back onto me again, I crashed it had been so big."</p>
<p>"That's about what it was like inside, too. Both of them showed up large and in person. The portion that ends up inside the Priestess or Priest is like two or three bits worth of data on a terabyte program.</p>
<p>"Trying to kill that was like trying to kill a giant by squashing the flea on it." Michael let his ignored hand relax there on the ground and looked up into the trees above without looking at them. "...And then realizing you were the dirt on the flea's knee."</p>
<p>He took a breath, trying to get the tightness of his chest to open back up, the smothering feeling of being in that place of time again coming back. "And worse than even that," his voice was quieter as it tried to come out around that tightness, "they showed up angry.</p>
<p>"Li Shou didn't want to give Time up in the end. I nearly died just standing in the outskirts of the pressure zone. Every organ was compressed tighter than I've ever felt on take-off.</p>
<p>"Only Purrcy's shields kept me from a death of implosion, but I was still knocked out when they attacked Li Shou. She was dust faster than I could see. If Purrcy hadn't been holding me on the flight out of that time-space, I would have been dust, too.</p>
<p>"It was so obvious that they couldn't have cared less that I was there; that what I'd just done was so insignificant to them they didn't bother to spare even an evil glance my way. They wanted time control and that's all they wanted. We'd called Li Shou out, asked politely, and she'd come, refused, and died for her own hubris. Our posturing at best confuses them. It's impossible and pointless from their point of view, not to mention illogical and emotionally irrational."</p>
<p>His mouth twisted. "...Sometimes when I'm reliving it again in my nightmares, only the fact Purrcy's arms were around me are what keep protecting me into the current time. She's got me and won't let go, no matter how much I'd rather just let it all go."</p>
<p>His hand clenched, then pounded into the ground next to him. "God dammit. And she <em>still</em> won't let go." His anger had to leach out as fast as it had come. He didn't have the strength to keep it.</p>
<p>Knowing he was talking to them all now, he said with completely defeated resignation, "Kill me all you want. I'd rather you did. But she'll stop you in the end, smack your bottoms, and send us all back in again. The rotation's the same, the orders don't vary, and we stay the children. Purrcy might not be one of them, but she's close enough, and the Archmage isn't far behind.</p>
<p>"They treat him as a near equal as well, but the two of them are only pawns on their stage to get their own goals met. Both of them know it, and both of them are somehow - <em>somehow</em> - God, sometimes I wish I knew how - <em>still</em> going to poke them hard enough to make them pay attention."</p>
<p>He rested a bit then said in a completely dead tone, "They order, the King and Queen obey. The King and Queen order, we all obey. That's the way of it until it's done. Emotions and opinions are pointless except how they can be manipulated to meet the ends.</p>
<p>"We don't play any differently, we just think we're the ones in control. Give that up. We aren't. We're the soldiers on the ground, the same as always: take the orders, do them, return to get the next set."</p>
<p><em>And in the meantime, my heart will be torn to shreds wishing for things I can't have, don't really want, and she turns around and gives me anyway. Just kill me now.</em> He passed out again before he could know if they were going to actually follow through.</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>Gareth looked at the sleeping man in front of him, gone again as his body tried to recover from being at one-thousand times the speed it was supposed to have been. It was the third time he'd sat and watched over him like this.</p>
<p>The first time they wouldn't tell anyone about. How Michael had become the priest of Inari-no-Izanami was not something to be told. How Gareth had become a deacon was the same, although that was likely more obvious. He had way too much compassion for this job.</p>
<p>He still wanted to kill his superior, nonetheless, and he knew every man in the trees who'd just heard that confession wanted to as well. He put his head in his arms, not able to look at his Commander any more. If anyone else wanted to act, he wouldn't stop them, even though it was a waste of his spells up until now.</p>
<p>"Why do you hesitate?" he was asked.</p>
<p>"He's already dead. ...We all are, we just think we aren't, ...but if it helps you, go ahead." Gareth didn't move while he answered. He didn't have the will.</p>
<p>"Why should we stay then?"</p>
<p>Gareth felt his mouth twist in a grimace. "Is there anywhere else to go? He said it: there's only one minor hope of having a say at all. If I care enough, then I'll stay the course to see even that much done."</p>
<p>"Do you care enough?"</p>
<p>"Maybe tomorrow I will." Just that much would be enough for them to kill him too, but he didn't care much either, except he was needed to finish healing Michael so they could move on. There was a sound of wind, then a grunt.</p>
<p>"You shielded, why?" It was angry.</p>
<p>"I didn't. It isn't worth it." He suddenly shivered and pulled in on himself, then remembered Michael had said the High Priestess had come to talk to him. He was instantly on his knees, his forehead in the ground. "Please, Inari-no-Izanami. It's okay. It's just how we let it all out. Please forgive them." The temperature was still dropping around them. "No really. You don't have to do that."</p>
<p>"I think so, Gareth," her voice sounded from everywhere and the chill from the dead calm tone made him shiver as much as the cold air. "They didn't understand what you and Priest Michael learned. They need to understand it completely."</p>
<p>"Not completely, please. Just a portion. They'll all become too depressed to do the work you want done. Michael and I are having a hard enough time as it is." He couldn't tell if he'd been heard or ignored. They'd all been purified by not only the initial purification but by the large spell cast after that. Gareth shuddered and moaned.</p>
<p>The thuds of bodies falling behind him was both sobering and frightening for him. He closed his eyes and prayed in his heart for his fellow companions. They were all going to learn why Tetorō had arrived back at the guild hall from the shrine so calm and yet so dead. Gareth hadn't been lying when he'd said they were already dead, but they hadn't believed him enough. She was going to show it to them.</p>
<p>He scooted closer to Michael until he was shivering in his partner's side, the minor warmth a minor consolation and reminder that here there was still life to some degree. It convicted him, that he rejected Michael at the same time as he was necessary for life.</p>
<p>The pressure finally lifted, as did the bitter cold and the essence of the Goddess left the area. Gareth relaxed and slipped off his knees to lie next to Michael, his back against the older man's side. They were going to have to start all over on the recovery now.</p>
<p>He decided to join them in getting another round of sleep in first. Nothing would be able to touch them for some time to come so it didn't matter there wasn't a guard on watch.</p>
<p>Before he could fall asleep, though, there came a purring and movement. He didn't need to look. Purrcy had come as cat and was settling down on Michael's chest. When a tail settled to rest on his own neck to warm it, he at first rejected it, but then his heart betrayed him yet again and instead tears leaked out of his eyes.</p>
<p>She still said she couldn't free them, couldn't help them get out of the specials prison, yet had come to give comfort and what healing she was allowed to. When his tears went to quiet sobs, she moved again until she was settled with her nose in his ear, a paw on his cheek.</p>
<p>"I hate you," he said to her, like he'd said so many times in that prison.</p>
<p>"I know. I love you. You can do this. It, too, will pass," just like she'd said every time before. And like all those other times, he could only believe her. Never had she lied or failed them before.</p>
<p>It still hurt like hell. That wasn't any different either, though, so he finished slipping into sleep, her warmth and her purrs lulling him there softly.</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>The move up to the master suite of the Temple of Time was a moment of relief for Nyanta and somewhat of a spectacle for the temple staff. They all tried to peek discretely around corners and through doorways as the High Priest and High Priestess made their way from his suite through the halls to head up the stairs to the upper floor.</p>
<p>Nyanta finally sighed with a bit of irritation. His ears and tail wouldn't quit twitching. He stopped as they were passing the audience chamber and looked at Purrcy. "Would mew like to relieve their curiosity and play mother at the same time so they can all get back to work and we can move about in peace?"</p>
<p>Purrcy gave Nyanta a gentle look. "If it would help you settle better and you don't mind it being less than formal, that would be fine. I don't know if there's a protocol when it comes to inside the castle. Is it okay to replace it with family casual instead?"</p>
<p>"I said it didn't I?" it was too difficult to settle. They'd rather traded places and he was now the irritable one.</p>
<p>Purrcy bowed and said, "Then by all means, let us settle you as much as we can." She closed her eyes and focused a bit, then said. "All staff of the Temple of Time, please come to the throne room." It resounded, but not unpleasantly, through the halls and rooms of the temple.</p>
<p>"We'll have to wait a bit. Did you redo that room yet, or were you going to keep it?"</p>
<p>He'd forgotten and that got him going again, headed in there now. "We'll do it now," he said, focusing on his hold of the two kittens in his arms to stay calm. She was carrying the other two. They knew that wasn't proper protocol either, but neither of them was secure enough yet to have them in a bassinet with a nursemaid. Not this soon.</p>
<p>They walked into the audience chamber through a side door and Nyanta was already pulling out a second throne from up in the attic to set next to the one that was there. "Do the draperies really have to go if I'm there with mew?"</p>
<p>Purrcy inspected it, then shook her head. "No it's more of a problem that it was a reminder that I was alone, prisoner in my own bed when it was made to hold two. These are formal and different enough that I can have more courage if I know you're up there with me."</p>
<p>She was inspecting the dark grey draperies closely. She twitched an ear and they were suddenly a forest green with a different design on them. Instead of the symbol of the Crucible of Time, there was a tree of life in a circle on them, similar in shape and style but still noticeably different.</p>
<p>"I'll leave the doors alone. They're too beautifully crafted and heirlooms, but that is the correct symbol for us in this place." Nyanta nodded. It was still a sober color so he didn't need to complain at all.</p>
<p>The doors were opening now, so they moved until they were on about the fifth step up, of about twenty, which was way too high for Purrcy it looked like. "Is this necessary?" she finally asked after she looked over her shoulder for the third time. "Half or less should be fine, shouldn't it?"</p>
<p>"Wait until after meowr First formal audience, then decide," he recommended rather strongly. She obediently nodded.</p>
<p>They waited patiently until it looked like they might have everyone. Nyanta looked around until he found who he was looking for. "Steward Marco, we'll need the purroper training in purrotocol, if it exists, for the formal announcement, but everyone is too curious today so I'll be letting Purrcy do it as she pleases today." Marco bowed. "Is everyone necessary purresent?"</p>
<p>Marco stepped up two steps and looked around the room. "Yes, Eminence." Nyanta nodded at Purrcy.</p>
<p>"Hello, everyone," Purrcy said. "I would say 'welcome' but it's we who are new, so I suppose it's early but I should instead say, please take care of us. I'm sorry to have been in hiding by necessity until now, and likely I won't be moving about much even still for another little while.</p>
<p>"I'm Purrcy, Nyanta's wife, and by now you've all likely heard most of my important titles, although mother is the important one right now. I'll be relying on all of you, as can be expected, until Inari lets us leave and then perhaps some here and there after that as I'm ordered about.</p>
<p>"Please forgive our sudden transition, but I hope for at least some of you that's better than suddenly being unemployed and temple-less. It wasn't my intent from the beginning so it's a mixed blessing for all of us. I do hope we can all get along well enough. I'll try to not be bothersome, but I'm still head of whatever house I'm in after my husband, being of the slightly cantankerous sort when things aren't going smoothly.</p>
<p>"We'll more formally go through full introductions and all that on the day Nyanta's assigned, but so many of you are curious and want to see the children, that we thought it might help to settle everyone by letting you see them first, as family, before the official proceedings.</p>
<p>"There are enough of you we won't be passing them around, but we'll unofficially present them for you. We haven't discussed names yet, not being in a hurry, so it's going to be boring," she grinned and twitched teasing whiskers at the gathered people.</p>
<p>"I've got the girls." She held up the first kitten, with the grey on her. "She looks rather like her father, but not quite as much white. The other," the kitten was held up, "is marked with a black ear and a grey one, and may or may not become tortoiseshell. We'll see." She looked at Nyanta.</p>
<p>He held up the black one. "Black like his mother, but not female so not likely to become tortoiseshell at all." There were a few chuckles. He held up the other. "Black and white in an interesting pattern I've not been able to place yet. I'm interested to see what he grows into. I'm sure they'll all be running about the place soon enough, getting under foot, and mew'll have to shoo them on."</p>
<p>A hand was raised in the grouping and Nyanta nodded, pulling the kittens back but allowing them to be visible. "Can we ask...why were you blessed with kittens at this time?"</p>
<p>Purrcy shook her head. "How can we know everything the Creator kami are thinking or have in store? It was required by them, and made possible by them. That's what we can answer to that question. As I'm also the Oracle, I'll warn you in advance. That is a forbidden question to the Oracle. They're quite firm on that one."</p>
<p>"Isn't it a blessing, that the first time in this many generations that the High Priest and the High Priestess are together in one place at one instance of time, that there is the auspicious sign of children born of them - a miracle unto itself - to show the city that though we are changed, new life and growth are still available to us into the future? Is it not an omen of blessing and hope?" It was an old grey female felinoid with thick fluffy fur, her yellow eyes bright with the fervor of her devotion.</p>
<p>Nyanta noticed Purrcy go stiff. "Thank mew, Purriestess Meghan," he said to calm Purrcy. "Those are kind words when my Lady wife has come from a place where there was only fear and hatred of this blessing. This is our third litter and she watched both of the purrevious ones be taken from her for that fear." There were some concerned mutters and a few sympathetic comments as the group stirred a bit.</p>
<p>Priestess Meghan glowered. "I do hope Inari-no-Izanami repaid such sacrilege against those who lack understanding and piety."</p>
<p>"When I left the shrine, it was being put to the torch," Purrcy said a little coolly, "although by the same sort of men, so that the wicked did away with the wicked. It's one of the reasons I've been brought here until the time is done.</p>
<p>"This is more of a place of safety than anywhere outside, even if we should have to hide here in the temple until we're done. But I truly hope that even this city can calm itself and find some level of acceptance for the part we play with only piety and obedience."</p>
<p>Purrcy sighed. "I still have so much to learn about even just this household," her tail kept twitching as she cast glances at Meghan. "I hope you'll help me and have patience with me until I can understand." She bowed, holding the kittens close to her chest.</p>
<p>"Please take care of me. Once Nyanta has decided that we're settled enough and his own lessons for me are completed sufficiently, I'll be very approachable by any of you until I've learned the lessons I need to learn in this place." She paused and looked at Nyanta, and her tail twitched in a question. He let his ear tip. "Are there any children in this place?"</p>
<p>Nyanta nodded as people smiled. "Yes, there are children born in the Gate of Time."</p>
<p>Purrcy relaxed a little. "Then, if there are any attached to the Temple I would appreciate it if there could be some level of children allowed inside until I've seen enough to choose companions for our children. They'll need instructors and guardians who can help them from the perspective of a child, although I'm sure we'll assign adult guardians and tutors officially as well."</p>
<p>Nyanta blinked. He wouldn't have thought of it, but it was sound enough. He gave a nod and Marco bowed faintly back. Nyanta looked at Purrcy but she seemed to be done, so he addressed the gathering. "If mew're content at this point, please go back to work. As I said, soon enough mew'll have had meowr fill of them, I'm sure."</p>
<p>The staff bowed and congratulated them, then obediently returned to their duties. They did seem to be more content generally, though. Marco waited for them to come down from the steps. "Please come after we've settled, in purrhaps twenty minutes," Nyanta requested.</p>
<p>Marco bowed, "Yes, Eminence. I'm sorry they were unruly."</p>
<p>"It's to be expected," he answered back, his ear still flicking, but not quite so horribly now and it was only in reaction to the reminder. "It helps Purrcy as well, to involve everyone informally as much as formally."</p>
<p>"Yes. As I recall, she did say she would rather suddenly 'grab everyone up into a family hug'. I assume that was an example?" Marco walked with them to the door they needed to leave the hall from.</p>
<p>"Mostly," Nyanta agreed as Purrcy blushed slightly, though it was Nyanta's fault to begin with this time.</p>
<p>"Marco, I'll need to talk to Priestess Meghan, but perhaps not until tomorrow or the next day depending on the schedule...which means you should bring my secretary with you when you come today." Purrcy sighed. "I'm not really ready to get back into work, but perhaps that can be seen as easing into it, those two things and the formal staff meeting."</p>
<p>Nyanta nodded, quite agreeing. Easing into it with one formal meeting and the two most important people to talk to would be a good way to start. He wasn't in a hurry for her to get back into working either. She was still recovering from the birthing and the kittens still completely relied on her and the natural patterns.</p>
<p>He planned on taking more of her time as well. These first few days of quiet resting in the small apartment had been healing, but he wasn't really quite ready to have her gone from his side for long. Moving today rather felt like that same kind of gradual progression.</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>Michael's chest was still heavy when he woke up, but it was a living warm heavy. His hand that wasn't pinned down lifted to touch the soft warmth on his chest. He got a sleepy rough lick for his trouble. "You're actually here? Why?"</p>
<p>The cat finished waking up and stepped off of him without answering. He tried to free his other arm and discovered the warmth at his side was his partner. That was a little worrisome. If he was there he'd been beaten down and likely not been able to complete the final healing.</p>
<p>"You came to heal me?" Still no answer, although he knew she was still there. He struggled a little to get the blanket to come out from under Gareth enough that he could sit up. Sitting up, he looked around.</p>
<p>Every Eagle was on the ground as if they'd been KOed while still in the trees, except the one on the ground not too far from Gareth. Gareth himself had no wounds, so he hadn't been beaten down physically, at least not recently anyway.</p>
<p>"Did you stop them?" he looked wide-eyed at Purrcy. She'd changed to full size cat and was looking at him soberly, her tail on top of her front paws in her formal sitting position.</p>
<p>"For their penance, and because the Goddess came down to this mountain top to teach them, when they revive they will build a shrine to Inari-no-Izanami before you continue on your journey. You will dedicate it with the assistance of the First Deacon, and if their offering is acceptable, they may perhaps be forgiven." It wasn't just Purrcy-cat. It was the misaki, the messenger of Izanami.</p>
<p>Michael's heart quailed. "What were they taught, if I may ask?"</p>
<p>"That they are already dead."</p>
<p>The blood left Michael's body and went somewhere into the ground below him. "Was it necessary?" he whispered.</p>
<p>"It was. They were inefficient in their lack of understanding."</p>
<p>Michael groaned. "We'll build the shrine. Please forgive them." He bowed to her and held it until her presence disappeared.</p>
<p>He sat back up and rubbed his face. No wonder Gareth had collapsed. He put a hand on him and shook him lightly. "Gareth. Gareth, it's time to move again." He kept his hand there until his wingman's eyes were open and he was awake enough to not kill anything.</p>
<p>When Gareth pushed up, Michael turned the young Lieutenant to face him. "Don't look yet. Tell me first."</p>
<p>Gareth shuddered and Michael held his arm tightly to support him. "They were moving in. I was going to let them, but I wasn't going to join them, so the first blow was at me, instead of you. They hit solid shielding and got angry and Izanami showed up." Gareth shivered again.</p>
<p>"I'd already told them I wasn't going to do it because you were already dead and that we all were. Because they moved anyway, she punished them by showing them why it was so. She said she was going to do it completely, but I begged just a portion since we're already so bad off. I was afraid if they all felt the same we'd all stop. ...But I don't know what she chose."</p>
<p>Michael took a breath and read their statuses. She'd put them at 1HP again. He closed his eyes. Gareth continued, "Then she came and sat as cat on your chest. I couldn't deal and knew we were out at least another round again anyway. She purred for me again and we went one more Special's round."</p>
<p>Michael nodded. Yes, that's exactly what she'd done. Reminded them where they came from and who owned them.</p>
<p>He paused long enough to find the energy to continue forward, then told Gareth, "Because the Goddess taught them on this mountain that we purified, they have to build a shrine to her before we can go on. You and I are to dedicate it and if she's pacified, she'll forgive them.</p>
<p>"By that, I can only guess she'll let them get out of the Special's prison again." Gareth jerked but Michael held on tight, holding him with both hands and not letting him look.</p>
<p>Gareth slumped again. "It wasn't just me, then."</p>
<p>"No. Everyone's punishment was that and will remain that until she knows they've understood."</p>
<p>Gareth gave one more shudder, then nodded. Michael carefully let go of him with one hand and looked in his eyes. "Can you scrub the anger?" Michael asked quietly.</p>
<p>Gareth look away. "I'm dead enough I don't want to hold onto it, but it wants to burn even brighter now."</p>
<p>Michael laughed a bitter, quiet laugh. "And yet again she does exactly what she wants. Hold on to both, but be obedient from now on - no variation. We are owned." Gareth looked back at him, then nodded soberly. Michael put his hand on top of Gareth's head. "And I think I'll consider it her payback for the last month."</p>
<p>Gareth raised an eyebrow, then slumped. "Yeah. That would be like her, too," he said quietly. "...Mike. ...Back on the ship...why was she after you? I thought we cleared that up when we got rid of the flavor text problem."</p>
<p>Michael paused, then shook his head. "I don't know. There was something...," he looked away, then shook his head again, "but really, I don't know. If it was a replay of the flavor text, she would have taken anyone when she couldn't get to me."</p>
<p>"It was only you she wanted at the shrine, too, though," Gareth looked into Michael's face. Michael could only shake his head. He really didn't know. Only that it had been the test Izanami had chosen, and who knew the mind of the Inari, really?</p>
<p>Michael handed Gareth the blanket, sure it was his, and stood. Gareth folded the blanket and it disappeared. Michael pulled a water bottle and drank from it then handed it to Gareth. He drank and handed it back. Then they went around to each of the fallen Eagles and carefully woke them.</p>
<p>When all twenty were awake, with the eighteen on their knees in the Japanese pose of repentance, Michael scolded them and explained their punishment, then reminded them again of their place in this world. When they'd sat on their knees long enough to get it all memorized and their hearts and emotions where they belonged, he motioned and they began to collect the materials for the shrine.</p>
<p>He and Gareth picked out a place for it. It didn't have to be large; the small ones along the pathways that were all over Japan and Yamato were sufficient here. It wasn't likely anyone would be back, although a Creature might stumble on it once every five years or so. If any Adventurer did, they'd wonder why a Japanese religious symbol was in the middle of nowhere Sierra Nevada Mountains, USA, Theldesia.</p>
<p>When the stacked uncut rock pillar was built, Gareth poured water from the spring over it and Michael blessed it with the rough words of men not used to flowery religious speech. He knew she was content either way. Then he begged for forgiveness for his men again.</p>
<p>When he was done, each man placed a food or item offering in the opening built to accept them until it was full. Each one clapped twice, bowed, and clapped again on their turn, also asking for forgiveness and promising obedience.</p>
<p>When they were done and standing around it, there was a pause, then a slight increase of pressure and the items in the shrine disappeared. Michael looked at the statuses on the Eagles and was very relieved when they were back up from 1HP, but they'd only been given about half of their total points. They'd still have to work at it, and he told them so, so they understood.</p>
<p>With one last bow to the shrine, Michael spread his wings and his men followed suit. He lept into the air, his great eagle wings beat downward, and he was launched into the air high above the tree tops. Behind him, the others exploded out as well. They turned west and a little north and began the flight towards the City of Angels again, sober and silent.</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>Their wings expired past the midpoint of the range, but they still had a long way to go to be out of the mountains, and then there would be another walk across foothills to the coast almost as long as they'd already gone from the edge of the desert to the mountains. It was only a few hours at most by car, but that wasn't possible here.</p>
<p>Michael had them rest at their landing point. They ate quietly, still trying to recover and reconcile. He walked up a hill to look out towards the ocean. They'd finally been able to just see it shining on the horizon and somehow he was already homesick for it. The peace and the rocking, the dark with the stars.</p>
<p>He had to stop there. He didn't want to feel what joined that next. Remembering Purrcy right now wasn't a good idea, particularly that trip. He almost didn't make it though and he stumbled on his walk back down as his arms tried to hold himself together. Hands caught him and held him up. "Don't die yet. You've got a job to do." It was Reed this time.</p>
<p>"And you don't want to move up to my place."</p>
<p>"Damn straight."</p>
<p>Michael let his second hold him while he just breathed until the strength of the hands holding him gave him enough of his own strength to stand again. With his family slipping through his hands like sand and water, it was barely enough. "I am so retiring when we get home. I am way too old for this."</p>
<p>"You said that the last deployment, too."</p>
<p>"Should've listened to myself that time." Michael got them walking back down to the rest spot.</p>
<p>"I'm glad you didn't...but then I'm not sure I would have approved the game night."</p>
<p>"No. You would've taken the night out drinking with the officers. ...What a pain."</p>
<p>"And they're glad you didn't," Reed said quietly.</p>
<p>Michael was silent, then nodded. They'd still be in the original prison. At least this time they got to walk, fly, and breathe the fresh air. He took a breath of the same himself.</p>
<p>It had been hard to be down there with them, and he was there with them again, but he also was outside now and they got to fight still, even though it wasn't at what they'd wanted to in the same way they'd wanted to. With another breath, he let that go and settled back into being the soldier under orders again himself. "Avionics."</p>
<p>"Yessir?"</p>
<p>"Summon Vesuvius." Everyone moved back to one edge of the clearing. "Uniforms on, no weapons, double line parade attention. Watch my cues. Avionics up with me and Reed."</p>
<p>He hated to make them wear the Royal Guard uniforms, but he needed to have them showing the correct appearance first thing. He also switched out the clothing he was wearing, gave everyone a good hard inspection when they were lined up, then turned his back to them and snapped to attention in front of them, Reed on his right, Avionics on his left.</p>
<p>Avionics cast his Summon spell and in front of them, taking up the rest of the clearing, appeared a brown and red dragon with gold highlights on the scales.</p>
<p>They'd defeated Vesuvius as a team in one of their gaming sessions on the on-shore season and Avionics, as their only Summoner, had made the dragon into one they could call on. Avionics stepped forward one step, bowed to the dragon, and said, "Vesuvius, thank you for coming. Please, will you speak with us?"</p>
<p>The anger swirling in the eyes of the dragon slowed down and he went slightly cautious. [What is this?] The words rumbled.</p>
<p>Michael stepped forward and Avionics stepped back. Michael saluted and the rest saluted with him. "Vesuvius, King of Dragons, we've been sent from our tour of duty on the other side of the planet by the Caretaker of Yamato and High Priestess of Inari-no-Izanami, and by the Archmage Shiroe to learn what happened in this place after the catastrophe.</p>
<p>"We've crossed the mountains from the east to the west and have seen emptiness and decay and only the terrible monsters that kill without remorse, having killed one cell of them already on the way. We're making our way to the city of the Adventurers and then to kill a monster that's as tall as the sky and unthinkable. Will you tell us what you know of the time since the awakening of the Adventurers and why we haven't seen any of the dragons in the skies over the mountains?"</p>
<p>The dragon blinked at them, then lowered himself on his haunches. Michael sat down and the rest did the same in their places. They listened soberly as the dragon told them that the dragons had been living mostly peaceably when suddenly they were being summoned in numbers that they hadn't experienced in a long time.</p>
<p>Adventurers would ride them up and down the coast and out over the desert, mapping and looking carefully, but not landing unless they were over the mountains themselves, and never staying out longer than their allotted time, so they never went very far. Then they were left alone again for a long time.</p>
<p>The dragon paused, then turned his head away. [Then came the monsters. We had seen them attack the lesser creatures. Smaller ones came at first and whenever they neared nest and aerie, we would scorch them and claw them until they were dead. Then there was a great light over the city of the Adventurers that we could see even from the mountain tops.</p>
<p>[From that time on large monsters would come into the mountains until there were enough that they could pin our wings with stakes the size of large trees and small mountains so we were unable to move and the lesser monsters could kill us off with their numbers. One by one all of my kin and their children were killed until even I was dead, unable to defend ourselves enough to rise into the sky and escape.]</p>
<p>Large tears were falling from the dragon's eyes and Michael was silently catching them to put them into a box in his list. Dragon's tears were valuable and might be necessary soon, though he meant no disrespect by it. Besides, they'd burn the hill and mark their passing, something he wasn't interested in since they were leaving more Overwritten behind them.</p>
<p>The face of the dragon swung back to him and the mouth opened threateningly. [Because you have made me be alive again, I am now Dragon alone.]</p>
<p>"It's a terrible thing to have happen to the noble dragon-kind," Michael said calmly, "but summoning you was necessary. Dragons can't be allowed to die to this region or to the world. We'll use your strength with ours to defeat the monsters that came to destroy the Creatures of the Land and the Adventurers and then we'll help you restore what dragons we can."</p>
<p>He paused, then asked, "Do you know the Caretaker of Yamato?" He'd been wondering since all the Creatures of Yamato did.</p>
<p>[I do, although I have not had the pleasure of meeting her.]</p>
<p>Michael nodded. "Then I will promise it on her name and on my position as Priest to the Goddess."</p>
<p>The dragon's mouth snapped closed and he was suddenly being inspected very closely. [You will go that far?]</p>
<p>"I will," Michael answered soberly. "Will you stay with us of your own will and become a member of our raid party and help us in our goals?"</p>
<p>Vesuvius, King of the Dragons, rose to his full height, then bowed to Michael. [I would, if you will do as you've promised.]</p>
<p>Michael rose and bowed in return. "We will." He looked the dragon in the eye. "Are there really no dragons left in all the mountains? We'll make the same promise with them. We need to travel swiftly and can only do so on our own for four hours. If there were even three more, or four, to help carry us we would be at our destination all the sooner and the goals accomplished that much sooner as well."</p>
<p>Vesuvius looked inward, then raised his head and gave a trumpet. [The enemy will chase them and us, but those that remain will come.]</p>
<p>"Will the other dragons come to you if we move from here?"</p>
<p>[Yes.]</p>
<p>"Then please forgive me for handling you indelicately, but it's for your protection." Michael didn't let him dissent, stepping forward to put a hand on the dragon, putting him into his guildmaster list as an item.</p>
<p>"What'd you do?!" Avionics cried.</p>
<p>"An experiment and it seems to have worked. Let's go. I want to be at least two mountains over before the other dragons show up. Leave behind purification mines to welcome the Overwritten."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. A Surprising First Meeting</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Purrcy looked up the grand stairs that led up to the master suite, then closed her eyes. "Sometimes I wonder if the expenditure of MP is preferable to HP and how the differences are. If I typically use MP have I a stronger muscle to use it and it feels like less effort, or is it really less effort? I am wishing today for an escalator."</p>
<p>She twitched cynically at herself. "Really, why does the first floor have to have such a high ceiling? Does making it feel like the roof is as high as the clouds really make one feel like they're outside, or is it because we all wish to feel as lofty as the imaginary feeling we ascribe to such vanities?</p>
<p>"Even in the United States just this floor would be a three floor apartment building crammed to get as many people into it as possible - except for those same lofty buildings that we build for our government buildings and often for places of worship."</p>
<p>She sighed and looked up the stairs again, then waved over a paige that was passing through. "How did Le Shou ever bother to ascend to her rooms in this place? Surely if she had to climb this daily she had the calves of a marathon runner."</p>
<p>The poor paige blinked in confusion at the reference, but politely he bowed and answered. "She used the magic cloud of transportation to go from there," he pointed to just below the balcony, "to there." He pointed to the upper level.</p>
<p>"Of course she did," Purrcy said. "I've only seen it the once, and it was quite handy. Thank you." The paige bowed and continued on his chore, but Nyanta watched him to see him turn and look back. At least it was with a positive expression rather than neutral to dark. "Have you learned that spell yet, Nyanta?" she asked.</p>
<p>"No," he answered honestly.</p>
<p>"Right, then. We're using my spell until we do, then." She linked her arm in his, shifting the second kitten into the other arm with the first. In the next instant they were on the upper floor at the top of the stairs. She'd put them down where they would be safe enough.</p>
<p>"And I may still find a way to make the equivalent of an escalator for the sake of all the maids. What a bother. I never did want to live in a house that was larger than I could clean in two hours tops. At least I won't have to keep this one clean all by myself."</p>
<p>"At all," he corrected her, kissing her head, since he couldn't pat her with his own arms full. "They use the servant's stairs in the back, anyway, unless they're cleaning the front entry and stairs to begin with."</p>
<p>"Anti-dust and -dirt spells," she said immediately and he chuckled. "They'd be <em>so</em> handy on Earth, too."</p>
<p>"That they would," he agreed and led her towards the suite, which was behind the upper level of the audience chamber. He noticed that vases, tall with tall flowers and reeds and grasses, and shorter ones on small tables with pleasing casual arrangements were already set along the hallway. He might prefer order, but he enjoyed this kind of beauty as well.</p>
<p>"They're very beautiful," Purrcy commented, her own ears and tail expressing pleasure.</p>
<p>"I concur." His own walk relaxed into his usual gentleman's pride. He stopped in a sudden motion, however, when Purrcy flicked her ear and the walls were suddenly covered with a view of a field of colorful wildflowers bending in the wind with trees in the distance.</p>
<p>He considered it for a moment, then sighed. "It's a pleasing scene. However, dear, it's also a mural that doesn't work for this place. Please reserve it for your photo album when you need to see such things."</p>
<p>"It was a temporary whim," she said raising her nose just a little. "It will be gone by the time we enter the suite."</p>
<p>"As long as you don't make us walk through grass when we enter." He got to walking again.</p>
<p>She glared at him. "Spoil sport. I was going to, too."</p>
<p>He dropped his head and shook it. "Really. It was so difficult that now mew must throw all restraint out the window?"</p>
<p>"It wasn't for you?" she asked, genuinely surprised.</p>
<p>Nyanta paused. "I am not the same as mew. Restraint has always been part of me. It isn't necessary to shake it off in order to recover. The healing is different."</p>
<p>After a brief consideration, she said with dry comprehension, "I can see that. Please allow me this brief moment and I'm sure it will pass as quickly as all such things pass for me."</p>
<p>"Well," he said dryly in return, pausing outside the rather fanciful door to the suite at the end of the hallway, "I'm sure additional restraint right at the moment would only purrolong my suffering."</p>
<p>She attacked him playfully. "Suffering?! To see your wife at play? I think not!"</p>
<p>He gracefully as possible gave in, saying she must surely be right - because of course she was in the end although he wouldn't admit it to her any more than that much. He opened the door to the suite, taking his turn to shuffle the kittens. "No guards on the door?" she asked him with a bit of a frown.</p>
<p>"I've asked them to wait until the formal staff meeting when mew can meet them all. Mew'll feel better knowing more purrsonally who is standing outside the door, I think, than having strangers there?"</p>
<p>"Ah, good point," she agreed and stepped into the room. Her eyes took in the large space, the raised futon on its platform at the far central side. This closer side had the sitting space, and on the other end of it his personal favorite, the kotatsu: a low table that could have a heater put under it and a heavy blanket placed over it to keep warm in the colder months.</p>
<p>"You enjoy the Eastern nobility, indeed, Nyanta, and yet the comforts of home at the same time," she said as she took it all in. "You've let yourself be expensive and grand." Her golden eyes looked into his. "Are you living a dream you've always wanted to see?"</p>
<p>He couldn't lie to those eyes. "Yes. It's one of the vanities of purrsonal vistas I've wanted to see at least once."</p>
<p>Purrcy leaned in and kissed him gently. "I will accept it, being brought to my husband's home and room, when it's a place he desires and enjoys ...and it has almost no vestiges of horrible memories for me."</p>
<p>"Almost?" he asked with a sudden panicked twist of his ears.</p>
<p>"The bed is even larger than the last one that swallowed me up," she commented. "I do hope you plan on getting into it every night with me or I'll be required to sleep on the couch to not rip it to shreds."</p>
<p>"Ah, no, please don't do that. I do plan on it, actually," he was quick to say.</p>
<p>"Then, if you'll let me ruin the effect for a few minutes?" With an internal sigh on his part, they were suddenly in the treetops of the Forest of Eternal Sleep. He wasn't too surprised, actually. The mural was at least kept to the walls and ceiling rather than become actual tree branches lacing through the room.</p>
<p>Purrcy walked over to the bed and set the kittens well into the center of it, then took the two from him and added them to the little pile. "Come show me the rest and then I'll rest with them." She took his hand and he led her to the nursery located opposite the door they'd entered the room through.</p>
<p>"This will be where we put them after they can see to get to mew themselves," he said. He looked at the effect as she prowled and inspected.</p>
<p>There was an adult sized futon (his original one - the children would be most comforted to still smell their parents even if in a separate room), a padded rocking chair just because it seemed that nurseries ought to have one, and the other accouterments that he'd told Marco to just handle, not knowing what was generally used by felinoids.</p>
<p>Changing tables would be used on Earth and it seemed there was an equivalent here. It was already stocked as well and Purrcy was going through that in detail. When she was satisfied, she put sunflowers on the walls and walked through the next door, on the wall to Nyanta's left.</p>
<p>He followed her to watch her reaction. She'd stopped and he asked quietly. "Do you appurrove?" She put her hands together in front of her, clasped, and finished looking, then turned to him with large eyes.</p>
<p>"Yes, Nyanta. It will be a wonderful growing and learning environment. I had no idea they were so advanced in their learning, even with the five universities."</p>
<p>He glided over to her and placed his hands on her hips and gave her a kiss. "I think even mew would enjoy being a student here in this place. I do hope having the access to the balcony won't make them falter in their studies, but I know being able to see the world beyond the four walls was essential to my own studies. The books won't be useful to them for some time, but the toys will see plenty of use, I would think."</p>
<p>"And I like that they can come play with them if we aren't ready to be out of bed yet," she added with a light brush of her cheek on his. "I will be putting a lock on the balcony door, however, until they're old enough to be properly responsible. We don't need them falling off the balcony."</p>
<p>"And the other direction?" He really was counting on her for safety up here.</p>
<p>"Already done when you brought me to meet Ceridwen. The balcony is safe enough from the exterior - and Michael taught me plenty about from above and below."</p>
<p>It was reassuring to hear and he relaxed a little and kissed her behind her ear. "Thank mew." Then that room got blue sky and white clouds on the walls. "They all are temporary, I hope?" he asked.</p>
<p>She rubbed his head. He frowned at her. "Yes, Nyanta. I'll likely do it whenever I get a whim, but most of the time I'll be too distracted, most likely. How will we be keeping it warm?"</p>
<p>Nyanta shook his head. "I had to ask specifically to have the fireplaces put in the office and apartment. It doesn't get cold here, not really. Because it's in its own space it has a fairly constant temperature."</p>
<p>"Then we'll have campfire and fireplace murals on a regular basis at the very least," his wonderful wife declared.</p>
<p>Nyanta purred. "Those I can live with." He pulled her back towards the nursery to return to the main room. "Mew've already seen the balcony. Are mew ready to rest?"</p>
<p>Her eyes immediately narrowed. He looked at her as innocently as possible, waiting for her response to his question. "Mister Nyanta. Is the bathroom seriously that much of a monstrosity?"</p>
<p>"Yes." He answered immediately. "I couldn't fathom what changes to make to it. I couldn't even look into it more than a single horrified glance."</p>
<p>They were in the main room again. She glanced at the remaining door, on the balcony side of the room and in the same wall as the main entrance door. "Swimming pool."</p>
<p>"Yes."</p>
<p>"Gilded mirrors?"</p>
<p>"I think so. Gilding was too much detail to capture."</p>
<p>"Is there even a private loo or is everything out in the open?"</p>
<p>Nyanta gave in and walked her over to the door and opened it for her, refusing to look into it himself. "God, it's awful indeed," she said. "I think it's good you left it for me. This is going to take a woman to tear down and rebuild, since an insane woman built it."</p>
<p>"Thank mew," he said most humbly. "If mew could address that first when Marco arrives, purrhaps?" She glanced at him, then nodded and very bravely walked into the room to do battle with it.</p>
<p>He took himself off to the bed to watch over the kittens and pray she returned safely from said battle, quite willing to be the weak dependent in this situation.</p>
<p>Purrcy returned from the bathroom just as there was a knock at the door. Nyanta lifted his head (he'd gone to medium large cat). She just handled getting the door herself straightaway, as if it were the door to Log Horizon's guild hall and she'd only left the bathroom just to answer the door.</p>
<p>"Marco, I've got the decor about how I want it. Come tell me what's actually possible as far as construction goes. If I were still on Earth, I would love the bathtub, but the shrine has quite made me water shy and the pool is far more water than I want to waste on a regular basis."</p>
<p>Marco was following along behind Purrcy, but a little overwhelmed by the time they reached the door to the bathroom with her rush of commentary without proper introduction to the topic.</p>
<p>Nyanta rose and moved off the bed, turning into felinoid by the time he reached the platform. "Please sit in a chair and wait. I'm afurraid I've put Purrcy to a task and she tends to lose herself in them until she's reached the end of her train of thought." The concerned and sadly ignored secretary bowed in relief, shut the door, and sat gingerly in a chair.</p>
<p>Nyanta sat catty-corner from him, where he could see the secretary and the door to the bathroom, and be guard for the kittens if he needed to be. "She is often like this, and can move swiftly from topic to topic. Mew will need to learn to insert meowrself into her flowing river and divert and redirect her as necessary.</p>
<p>"Also be mindful that orders and little tidbits of important information will float along with the water of the river and mew must catch them as they come and not lose them. If she could have brought her former secretary, she would have and meowr life would purrhaps have remained simple. If mew need to stop the flow, it is possible, even in mid-thought, and most of the time it will be hidden beneath the surface regardless.</p>
<p>"Manage her calendar carefully and for some time I would like mew to bring it to me daily so I can modify it as necessary, purrticularly as we are at the beginning and she is healing."</p>
<p>Nyanta paused to see if the secretary was following along with his own testing river. He seemed to be, with ears pricked forward to attention. He sat up properly and a bit stiffly in his nervousness.</p>
<p>He was an orange-colored young felinoid with bright eyes and large ears placing him as based off the Abyssinian breed, likely only having been placed in the temple staff within the last few years. Long enough to get trained and a bit of experience and to prove he was naturally intelligent and organized.</p>
<p>"Do plan on being inundated with questions and being her second teacher after myself. That will likely be meowr main role here at the beginning. Feel free to offer any lesson, small or great, childish or professor level, without her asking.</p>
<p>"Keeping meowr mouth moving will keep her ears and mind as busy as if it were her own and may save mew from the confusing things she will add that are Adventurer and natural for her to speak about but incomprehensible to mew. Someday the tables will turn and she'll teach mew about things mew have never before considered and the difficult beginning will have been well worth it."</p>
<p>Nyanta smiled, judging how much more time before she was done with Marco. "Remember to scold her to rest, and if mew've any magical ability at all, quickly learn healing spells. She'll need healing for the anima, psyche, and spirit healing on a regular basis. She uses her magic without thought and most often has the capacity for it, but she won't track her use, and if she creates something large she'll use more than she should in one go.</p>
<p>"Be quick to just heal her without thought meowrself, even if meowr not sure she needs it. Likely she does, and likely mew'll come to instinctively know when she's casting. Don't use meowrself up, however. If mew're getting to a limit of reasonability, scold her and force her to stop or slow down. She needs to still learn more restraint in this area. If mew find it difficult, let me know and I'll step in and add restraints until she can learn it."</p>
<p>The secretary raised his hand slightly and Nyanta gave a nod. "The spell she cast on the draperies, where does that fit in the scale?"</p>
<p>"For her...likely a medium-small spell."</p>
<p>"And, if I may ask, the spell she cast on Ccoa when she first arrived?"*</p>
<p>"Likely a medium to middling-high at worst, given he is a kami. For anyone else, it's a mid-low level cantrip. It is one of her memorized and common defensive spells. Mew won't need to worry for meowr life or existence. If she's being attacked, mew are also defended - unless she warns mew otherwise, which is highly unlikely." Nyanta's ear flicked and he motioned for the secretary to be still.</p>
<p>The other two felinoids walked out of the bathroom in final discussion and sat with Nyanta and the secretary. Purrcy smoothly transitioned, "I'm very sorry to be lost in my musings," she looked politely at the Abyssinian. "Forgive me for rudely ignoring you, but do expect yourself to feel even more like the pen in my hand instead of as a living creature than normal for staff, although I'll try to make it up to you and you do have a voice to push back with that I'll listen to. Please don't be afraid to use it." She looked at Marco.</p>
<p>Marco said, "Eminence, this is Timberel. He came highly recommended by his professors at the University of Administration. He's currently working in the department I suggest you have work closely with you. Having experience already with what they can do for you, he therefore understands how to assign the tasks you need completed until you become comfortable with the process.</p>
<p>"Timberel received highest honors in mathematics and organizational structures. I've found his ability to keep track of details to be immaculate and had considered apprenticing him myself. If you do leave and won't need him for some time, I may still if it pleases you, although we can discuss that when the time draws near.</p>
<p>"As far as specific temple training, he's an acolyte but would have been made a deacon within the time frame you've been here if Li Shou had been able to live. We've held off on any such actions until we have the formal staff meeting and it can be decided how to handle such things. Most of us are unsure how the transition affects the fact that she is the one we pledged loyalty to when she no longer exists."</p>
<p>Purrcy's ear turned as she considered that issue. "I believe, as far as Inari is concerned, it was an immediate transfer. How each individual would wish to handle that based on their personal preferences is up to them. And I am as unclear as yourself as to which one, since they were of one purpose at that moment.</p>
<p>"Certainly in that respect each person could choose either Izanagi or Izanami, although I would have to insist, Timberel, that you would choose Izanami. But based on your qualifications you might prefer the other?"</p>
<p>"Ah, no, that's okay," Timberel said, his large ears twitching a bit. "I would actually prefer Izanami. For all I'm very good with patterns and keeping track of details, I'm not very good at staying within the lines, if you understand."</p>
<p>"Very well," Purrcy answered. "Excellent, then. After the staff meeting we'll try to get to those formalities so the final reorganization of the household is done before we move on to thinking of the broader scope of work that needs to be done, I would think?" She looked at Nyanta.</p>
<p>"That sounds reasonable," he agreed.</p>
<p>Purrcy frowned a bit, then said, "Timberel, I will actually need you to become the level of Priest fairly quickly. The spells at that level will be essential when I've finally learned enough to be let out of the house. Please make sure you plan that into the schedule so that you have time to prepare within that time frame."</p>
<p>"Of course, Eminence," he answered properly.</p>
<p>Purrcy's tail flipped. "Timberel, that will only work in formal settings. When we are working closely on business the most formal I'll accept is Lady Purrcy."</p>
<p>"I understand," he answered.</p>
<p>Purrcy clasped her hands in her lap and looked at Nyanta. "I haven't enough knowledge to be able to ask educated questions, nor to understand the answers. What I've heard is sufficient for now. Do you have any questions to ask?"</p>
<p>"No. I also don't understand the workings of that department. Timberel, do be here at the end of the breakfast hour each morning for the initial review of the day's schedule. Please feel free to be reassigned to a room nearby either upstairs or down the hall. If mew wish to move slowly given temple politics, the transitions of meowr temple status advancements can be when mew move.</p>
<p>"Purrcy will work mew terribly and the closer mew are to her the less mew will have to run across the entire building. I would request, Marco, that if mew would please transfer to Izanagi, I'll place you as the first purriest under me. I would also allow mew to move, but I know mew love meowr current apartment."</p>
<p>"It is the best placement for my position, as being between the heavens and the angels," Marco answered.</p>
<p>"Was that a translation difficulty?" Purrcy asked, confused.</p>
<p>"It's a way to differentiate between the kami and the staff of the temple," Nyanta explained. "Likely the translator did try to pick English terms close."</p>
<p>"It will do," she said. "And when I start to get the detailed level differentiations, will I get Seraphim, Cherubim, and heavenly host?"</p>
<p>"Most likely," he answered, "if it translated correctly for me."</p>
<p>"It is correct, I believe," Timberel answered as his new position dictated for him to. "But the last refers to those who live and work outside the temples, but are joined to a specific temple."</p>
<p>"Ah," Purrcy nodded. "I shall be ever so confused by those terms since I would never ascribe them to any status I'm in. I'll consider it and change them if I can figure out what would help me more properly comprehend within my own head - since I'm the only English speaker here anyway."</p>
<p>"Mew have access to the general translator now, then?" Nyanta asked her.</p>
<p>"Oh, yes. Ever since I got put in charge of handling the last level to the degree of sub-quests, and working with India has required it. That was part of the title bonus, if you will, for the larger things that happened during those events."</p>
<p>"If I may turn the topic there?" Marco asked. Two ears allowed it. "We will need to know all of your titles properly for the official functions."</p>
<p>"Oh, heavens," Purrcy said horrified. "They've thrown them at me as if they are paper stickers to reward children with. Your herald will hate me for sure, and the audience fall asleep.</p>
<p>"I'd much prefer it if we could keep it to no more than the top five that are useful to the comprehension of the Gate of Time, and four would be better and more succinct. High Priestess of Inari-no-Izanami, Caretaker of Yamato, Oracle of Inari, and maybe one or two more of your choice would be more than sufficient."</p>
<p>"Please also add TechnoMagus," Nyanta asked Marco and both felinoids in front of them stiffened in surprise.</p>
<p>"It's a Class known here?" Purrcy asked.</p>
<p>"Yes," Nyanta answered, "only it isn't a Class. It's a title of a few of the kami, such as Ceridwen for her wisdom, and Ra and Mut for their ancient level."</p>
<p>"The heads of the universities are also TechnoMagus," Timberel supplied.</p>
<p>"Fine," Purrcy said. "Then that's enough, those four. I'll let you know if Izanami happens to add anything else that might be apropos.</p>
<p>"And please keep your mouths shut on that one until we have the formal city announcement. I don't need the look you two are giving me from everyone else until then. I hide it from the Adventurers, too, although they only give me confused looks when they do see it. Let me at least learn what it really means here before it changes anything, since it shouldn't."</p>
<p>"Except it's what mew've worked the hardest for," Nyanta disagreed softly. He knew how hard, and he knew that she'd put in just as much effort as the others had to reach where they were.</p>
<p>"True," she answered, which put the two staff right back where he wanted them. He wanted that rumor to leak and it would. That was not something that they'd be able to keep because it would be the pride of the temple, to hopefully overcome any left-over resentments. Marco would be his ally in that if he was truly an ally to begin with, so was a good test in that regard as well.</p>
<p>"Very well," Marco answered and launched into the formal protocol for announcements to the temple, to all the "heavenly host" within and without the temple, and to the city.</p>
<p>When they finally released both men, telling them again to come in the morning after breakfast, Purrcy shook her head to remove all the words and walked tiredly over to the bed. "That was a bit much for one tired, worn out brain, though I probably did better today than I would have any day before."</p>
<p>She was on four feet and sniffing at the kittens. She picked up the black one by the scruff of his neck with her teeth and moved him back to the pile. They'd begun whining a bit towards the end so Marco had wrapped it up perhaps a little early.</p>
<p>Nyanta watched her, enjoying seeing her as mother to the children again, even though this was perhaps different. She paced around them a few times, both preparing to rest and perhaps to find the best positioning.</p>
<p>As she settled down with a sigh, the kittens were quick to find their places at the dining table, as it were, and he smiled. It was nice they were all very vivacious. "We should name them soon," she said tiredly, then laid her head back and was soon sleeping, her side rhythmically rising and falling.</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>Uniforms were changed out again and mines quickly laid then the Eagles were off, running down the mountain and into the valley that led to the next mountain over. It was tiresome work to run down, across, climb up, and repeat that process. So, they ran along the hip of each mountain as much as they could instead.</p>
<p>It was still a long time before they reached a secluded valley that they could wait for the other dragons to arrive at. When they'd set up protections on the valley against the Overwritten but that the dragons could pass through, Michael let Vesuvius back out again.</p>
<p>The dragon shook himself out. [That was very interesting.]</p>
<p>"I'd like to hear it sometime. I've always wondered what it's like to be inside," Michael said conversationally. "How close are they, the other dragons?"</p>
<p>Vesuvius looked inward again. [Close. One is being chased.]</p>
<p>"Tell him to come directly here and we'll take care of the Overwritten. Which direction are they coming from?" The dragon pointed with his nose and Reed sent half of the Eagles to the rim to watch for the Overwritten. "I've also wondered, can you change size?"</p>
<p>Vesuvius glared at him. Michael shrugged. "The felinoid and other half-beast races can, and you're high enough level for those creatures that need levels instead."</p>
<p>There was a rumble with a bit of a hiss. It was enough like the hissing laugh of the gryphons that Michael decided that it was likely that. [You would rather see that than have me tucked into your pocket?]</p>
<p>"Well, it would be convenient to be able to still talk to you. I can't really do that when you're in my list. In some games at high enough levels the Creatures can transform into a human form. Can that happen here?" The dragon shook his head.</p>
<p>"Oh, well," Michael shrugged. "But if you'll shrink then the Overwritten will be confused and not find you. I'm thinking about the size to sit on my shoulder but not hold me on the ground at the same time. That's pretty small for someone as grand as you, though."</p>
<p>[Dragons are proud creatures, Priest Michael.]</p>
<p>"Well, that's true, but you've already died once for your pride. Do you really want to die a second time for the same?" He blinked at the dragon innocently. He turned away to let the dragon think about it, and to give him some dignity by not watching the transformation. "Do we have eyes on any of the other dragons yet?" he asked on the guild chat.</p>
<p>"Not yet, but there are shadows two mountains over so I think the one being chased on it's way in is hiding as it comes," Records answered from his post.</p>
<p>Michael picked one of the tallest trees in the valley and climbed up into it, clambering as high as he could go. A brown and red dragonlet joined him one branch up, the tail balancing it on the precarious perch, one front clawed paw holding on to the trunk of the tree. Michael smiled to himself.</p>
<p>"I assume the rest are already in the valley waiting to see what we'll do to see if we can be trusted." The king dragonlet twitched, then glared down at him. He waved it away. "I don't mind it. We'd do the same. But they need to come swiftly after we defeat this set. I want us to be away before any more come."</p>
<p>He searched the next mountain over watching until he could see the shadows of the Overwritten passing through the trees. They weren't super large, but they were fast. "Tell the dragon to expose himself last minute at the top of the ridge into this valley. I think that will be close enough to get him out of danger."</p>
<p>On the chat he said, "Up on the wall, speedy, looks like three or four. Let the dragon through the net but they're fast so don't delay. Nothing early either. Would hate to have them get away to warn the others."</p>
<p>Michael itched to be part of the action, even though they'd already seen a lot for the time they'd been here. He needed to let some of his own suppressed emotions out.</p>
<p>The wait was long, but the action was quick, as such things always happened. A green with blue highlights dragonlet appeared over the ridge in the sky and Michael was pulling it into his list, then prepared to cast his aggro holding spell to keep the Overwritten in place so they couldn't flee the battleground.</p>
<p>Four appeared at the same place the dragon had, then a fifth slithered over the ridge. Michael clamped down on them and the Eagles flew to the attack. He pulled up another spell and cast it, dropping the snake to lie quivering with white shocks pulsating up and down it. They didn't need a constrictor type involved in this battle.</p>
<p>It took a good thump to the head before it went up in bubbles. "Ah, hey Sir, that was my hammer. Was that purification a mistake?"</p>
<p>"No, I don't think so. You're all properly purified and blessed acolytes now. Congratulations. We're going to have to go out and find cursed weapons now, or something. Or we'll have to give up dungeoning. ...But I don't think she's cruel, so there's a work around somewhere.</p>
<p>"It might also be only until the quest is finished. She <em>is</em> the type of mother to punish by making sure you don't get to go out and play until the required work is done, if you'll remember. At least the work is part of the fun."</p>
<p>They actually worked faster after that. If they could use their favorite weapons and still purify, that was alright in these kinds of battles. Michael wondered how the four still on the way up were going to catch up. He hoped she hadn't included them and let the monster eat them.</p>
<p>He sat back and sighed. The dragon above him looked back down at him. [Is it so dull?]</p>
<p>"No. Not dull at all. Purrcy doesn't let life get like that very often. If it's dull she's late to wake us up from our rest...or she's going to give us extra work and thinks she's being nice by allowing us to waste time."</p>
<p>The dragon growl-hissed again. They watched as the three last monsters all disappeared at the same time. "Grab the drops and get back here. We need to get out before the rest get here." Michael headed down the tree and the dragonlet met him at the base of the tree, gliding down on spread wings. Michael had to look away before he wanted to.</p>
<p>[You are sad again Son of Man. What is it that grieves you so?]</p>
<p>Michael shook his head. "I've gotten too sentimental in my old age. I saw someone else briefly."</p>
<p>A clawed paw rested on his shoulder. [I well understand.] Michael nodded. To watch the death of your people and then to be back to remember it would do that - bring the grief to the surface frequently. Surely seeing even this one living dragon had done that.</p>
<p>"I hope seeing these will bring you more hope than memories of grief," he said, looking back at the horse-sized dragon now standing next to him.</p>
<p>[I am grateful even these many have survived], the dragon king agreed.</p>
<p>Michael let the one he'd grabbed back out. That one shook out, and then bowed to Vesuvius. [My king. I am grateful you are alive again.] Michael was surprised. It was definitely female. She turned to Michael. [And thank you to you and yours as well, for protecting me.]</p>
<p>"We're glad you've arrived safely," Michael said. He could feel the other Eagles settling into the trees around them. "Please call out the others, Vesuvius," Michael asked.</p>
<p>Slowly three other dragons, also keeping themselves small for now, crept out of the trees. One was deep blue with black highlights. Another was yellow-green with tan highlights. The third was grey and white with silver highlights.</p>
<p>Vesuvius reacted strongly to that one, but Michael could understand. The two color dragons were older and higher level. That one held its head low and came right up to Vesuvius. [I'm sorry. I was negligent and allowed them to pass me.]</p>
<p>Vesuvius sighed. [I'm sure even if you had interfered, in the end you would have only met the same fate. If you are alive now, it is enough. Live properly so their spirits can be properly returned.]</p>
<p>He lowered his head to touch the nose of the one still low to the ground with his own, then looked up at Michael. [This is my mate, Halti.(1) She was watching over the nest eggs at the time we were attacked.]</p>
<p>Michael bowed. "It's my pleasure to greet you, Halti. We're also pleased you're alive, although we mourn with you the loss of the future. Please do your best to return the dragon kind to the mountains." He looked at the one he'd caught up as well and she turned away as if in a blush.</p>
<p>[You desire dragons to return in their terribleness?] the deep blue and black one asked with disbelieving haughtiness.</p>
<p>"No. We wish for them to return to life. From this time on there must be alliance between Adventurer and dragon-kind. This is the order of Inari."</p>
<p>[What Adventurer will obey?]</p>
<p>"I do, as do all of these who protected you today. We'll have to teach the other Adventurers once we've recovered them."</p>
<p>[Recovered them?] the yellow-green one asked.</p>
<p>"Many have become disconnected - prevented from resurrection by the same monsters that hunted you and all the Creatures of the Land. We've been sent to correct the errors, and to see that a proper balance is brought again to the land.</p>
<p>"Please join with us until we can restore more dragons to the mountains and the monsters of destruction are all dead within the region. We need speed through the air to reach our destinations and strength for the fight."</p>
<p>The new dragons blinked at him and the blue-black one finally said, [Willingly?]</p>
<p>"Yes."</p>
<p>[No contract?]</p>
<p>"Only that of one honorable creature to another."</p>
<p>[Aren't these your Summoners?] Halti finally asked Vesuvius.</p>
<p>[Yes, but I travel with them based on the form of contract just mentioned. I'm only under the summon at the moment because I was dead. It was the only way to revive me and ask.] Vesuvius paused, then said, [I was quite surprised that they bothered to even ask me to talk to them as soon as I was summoned. That in itself is very telling, I think.]</p>
<p>Michael had a thought. "Besides I reek of the Caretaker. It's rather hard to refute my claim to who I am. She sat on me today to heal me after we removed a nest of the monsters."</p>
<p>[<em>Sat</em> on you?] the little green female said in complete surprise.</p>
<p>Michael smiled at her. "She's a felinoid. She turned into a little cat and sat on my chest while I was sleeping to recover." The dragons relaxed a little. Michael decided there must have been a translation difficulty.</p>
<p>"Please make your decisions. We need to go. If you'll come with us, we need to ride. There are twenty of us. If all of you come, that would be four riders per dragon."</p>
<p>The blue-black dragon hedged one more time. [How will you make there be more dragons after we are done?]</p>
<p>"Vesuvius said that for a time the Adventurers summoned many dragons. When the Adventurers are restored, we'll have them summoned again. It won't return all of them, of course, but perhaps between those and all of you, soon enough the dragon race will be strong again."</p>
<p>Vesuvius stepped back and changed size again to full size. Halti and the green dragon both stepped back and changed as well. The yellow-green dragon hesitated, then also chose to help. The blue dragon considered a little longer, then finally sighed and grew. [It hurts my dignity, but if it will restore the dragons I will help for a time.]</p>
<p>Michael bowed to them. "Thank you."</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>Nyanta did wonder what they should name the kittens. In this place there were hardly any restraints. The Adventurers had come with the fanciful, the plain, the absurd, and the lazy names of gamers. The People of the Land were given names based on flavor text or randomly generated ones for farmers and farmer's children and the like, or like the high level denizens of this city, were given names from Earth's past because of legend, lore, and history.</p>
<p>Being Japanese, his bent was to choose names common from there. Purrcy might like English ones, but she'd claimed no preference. And there was the future to consider. Would they be able to return home, being souls of Adventurers? Or would they have to stay and need names to carry with them?</p>
<p>Nyanta watched them from his chair until the kittens began to be sated and fall asleep. The black one chose to not sleep, but to try to wiggle his way off the futon again. Nyanta rose and walked to him, scooping him up. The little one was surprised at first, then recognized his father's scent and tried to wiggle free again. Nyanta carried him back to the chair and held him up in front of his face.</p>
<p>"No. Mew don't want to fall from here. I've got mew tightly. It's a large world out here. Mew'll learn to walk in it, though, when mew have eyes to see and to understand how to live purroperly. Listen to meowr mother and be obedient to me, meowr father, and mew will live well." He ran a finger over the head of the kitten and rubbed it's cheek with his thumb until it settled a little.</p>
<p>"What shall we call mew, mmm? Because mew are a black cat, we could say Nekuro. I wonder if meowr mother would like that? It's a strong sounding name and mew will be intelligent and likely very strong, for mew're already trying to explore the great world with meowr eyes still tightly closed.</p>
<p>"Open those eyes first so mew don't stumble like mew did before. If I wanted to remind mew of that, I might name mew Miru, or Emiru. ...Or perhaps Hora, though that's not very masculine."</p>
<p>He looked back over to the pile. "I think Nureha needs to be named Meiki, so she can remember her purromises from before and into the future. We never did know meowr name from before and the other two we don't know at all, sadly."</p>
<p>He rubbed the thumb of the hand supporting the kitten under his chin, making the head wobble somewhat and the kitten try to find something to latch onto on the end of his thumb. "Surely mew can't still be hungry? Even if mew are, mew mustn't eat too much and wear out meowr mother." Speaking of which, food should be coming shortly for them.</p>
<p>He stood up again, walked over to the bed, sat next to the pile of his wife and children, and looked them all over, putting the black one with the others. He did, indeed, head straight back to his mother. Nyanta lifted him and placed him at an upper teat until he was latched on well enough and leaned him against his mother, sitting on his hind legs. "Here, purractice increasing meowr strength while increasing the size of meowr belly."</p>
<p>When he seemed stable enough, Nyanta picked up the female with the black and grey ears. "Did mew hear me, little one? Mew will always remember the purromises mew made to meowr mother when she first claimed mew and made mew hers. Mew will be named Meiki so that mew always remember."(2)</p>
<p>"It's a good name," Purrcy said sleepily.</p>
<p>"For the black would mew want Nekuro or Miru?"</p>
<p>"Miru. It's more auspicious for a new beginning."(3)</p>
<p>"Miru it is, then," Nyanta rubbed the head of Miru lightly and he complained with a whimper. Nyanta smiled and traded Meiki for his other son. "What shall we call the black and white son, then?"</p>
<p>"Is there a word that would work for hope? The hope we all bear to return home, that has driven us to be willing to work this hard?" Purrcy looked up at him, shifting her head enough to see that son in his hands.</p>
<p>Nyanta thought about that. "There are several. Kibou, Kitai, ...Setsubou purrhaps explains the depth of desire we hope for."</p>
<p>"That would be fine, then - Setsubou - though the others are nice enough. ...Perhaps that or Kitai."</p>
<p>Nyanta considered the kitten in his hand with a bit of a frown. "I think Shiroe-ichi would agree with mew that Setsubou would more apurropriately tell our story," he finally said. He touched the kitten's nose. "Setsubou mew will be, then."(4)</p>
<p>He set that one down and he immediately wiggled to be squashed between his sisters again and fell asleep. Nyanta chuckled. "Setsubou is most comfortable when still in the womb, tightly purressed with his siblings."</p>
<p>"That seems appropriate. Only tightly clinging to each other will we be able to return home, I think," Purrcy murmured.</p>
<p>"Mm," Nyanta agreed. He picked up his fourth - or rather fifth - child, missing his Earth son for a moment. He pet the daughter until he'd calmed, then held her up and looked her over. His ear flopped as he tipped his head to look at her more closely.</p>
<p>He held her up, turned her over, then lifted her to his nose, thought to a past scent that he set in his body, then sniffed. His eyes flew open and his ears stood up on end. <em>How was it possible?</em></p>
<p>He stared at the little kitten, then shifted to place her in front of her mother's face and nose where Purrcy could see her well. "Purrcy, I would like to introduce mew to MeowLi. This is our First meeting."</p>
<p>Purrcy's head jerked up and she stared at Nyanta with wide eyes. "It isn't!"</p>
<p>Nyanta nodded his head. "It is. She smells the same. The natural cat agrees."</p>
<p>Purrcy turned and looked at the very small grey kitten, then carefully put her nose to the kitten and smelled her deeply, memorizing the smell, then gently pushed on the kitten with her nose. The kitten sniffed for her and Purrcy was immediately felinoid, scooping the grey up with her hands.</p>
<p>Purrcy also inspected this daughter very carefully, all over, then held her to look her face-to-face, wonder in Purrcy's golden eyes. "Hello, MeowLi. Take very good care of your father. He will be missing me and will be worried for all of you." Purrcy's hands trembled and she pulled the kitten to her chest. "And I will be very, very worried for you also."</p>
<p>She looked at Nyanta, almost with fear in her eyes. "Nyanta...how long were you in the Gate of Time, total, that she was with you, and without you?"</p>
<p>"A very long time," Nyanta said soberly. "And rather young for it as well."</p>
<p>"She came from here, not understanding that place and the chaos at the first. You'll have to train her very well for that confusion, and have someone help her by telling her the stories of that time."</p>
<p>"Even so, it will be difficult."</p>
<p>"I'm sure of it," Purrcy trembled again. "And I'm sure she's afraid right now, as well. She isn't in this city and she couldn't be left behind. She's in the base time but who knows where until I can return there and find her.</p>
<p>"That's also a place she's never experienced before. I'll need to go to her very soon and take her to the home that will care for her and teach her until we return. That is so scary, Nyanta."</p>
<p>Nyanta moved to take his trembling wife in his arms. "She must have been strong to agree to it, and I know mew will train her well, also. She was very competent and skilled enough to travel about the city without help when I knew her. She won't fail and if she's afraid, she'll find help there.</p>
<p>"We'll see the politics of it being at the heights, but she'll find the commoners who are friendly and helpful to their own kind. Because she's come from this side of the veil, they won't remember her on that side. The politics won't follow her and she'll be safe enough. But...do mew know why she was sent?"</p>
<p>"To keep you safe from Li Shou and to help you fight Izanagi as best possible."</p>
<p>"Merely because my wife is jealous?" he teased her, trying to get her to come out of her desperate fear for her daughter.</p>
<p>"If I'm so jealous for my husband, who is there to say I'm wrong?" she answered, but she did try to calm down. "I will at least ask her if she's willing. I won't be able to live with myself if I don't."</p>
<p>She took a difficult breath, then looked at their oldest daughter. "Very well, MeowLi it is and we'll hope for and help you as best we can. Everyone will get lessons for how to live outside and you'll receive the special lessons, though the others can listen if they want."</p>
<p>"And I'll get to train mew from the beginning," Nyanta said suddenly pleased by that prospect. He reached out and rubbed MeowLi's head gently, down to her back. "Food will arrive shortly," he told Purrcy.</p>
<p>Purrcy put MeowLi in his hand, rose, scooped up Miru to put him back into the pile, and hurried to the bathroom. Nyanta lifted MeowLi up to look at her again, gently rubbing her side with his thumb.</p>
<p>He remembered the time MeowLi had almost called him Chichiue. That night she'd relaxed enough to tell stories about her childhood because he was prying and trying to find out more about her and then she'd begun another one with, "You remember -," then looked at him with frightened eyes and closed her mouth, then been sad.</p>
<p>The hug when Izanagi had returned...had that been their First meeting in that time-space for MeowLi? Nyanta shook his head in wonder, then set MeowLi back with her siblings again. Miru had found Meiki's black ear and was sucking on that. Nyanta gently freed the ear and settled Miru down by holding him still until he gave up and fell asleep.</p>
<p>Nyanta intercepted Purrcy on her way back to the futon, capturing her in his arms and holding her close to him, petting her head when she gave up enough to stay with him. "It's okay. Only a few minutes have passed for her outside. Mew can finish meowr obligations here, and still rescue her. Mew may not go until mew purroperly understand how to time walk. We can't live without mew. To be lost in time is too hard and there is none to recover mew now that there is no Li Shou."</p>
<p>"Izanami and Izanagi can," she answered back, "and they would."</p>
<p>"Yes, but even still, I can't let mew go until I know mew can at least find meowr way back to us purroperly in the timeline. Do not rush to death and confusion when the time difference is so great as to be in our favor." He held her tightly. "Purromise it."</p>
<p>He willed it with all his heart when she was still too afraid to answer him. He was not healed enough for that danger to present itself to him and until the kittens could eat at least a little from a dish of milk, she couldn't be allowed to be lost to them. Only if he trusted her ability to return would he be able to let her go.</p>
<p>"Remember that time is still fluid for mew. Mew could wait to go the moment she steps through the veil and still find her fine. Mew do not need to panic in this moment of first compurrehension."</p>
<p>He held his wife and she slowly relaxed until she nodded. He pet her and purred for her as she slipped her arms around him and held on tightly, trying to finish letting her fear for her new daughter in her old place, in a different time alone for the first time, go. It was surely worse because MeowLi would be getting a taste of what they had all been through. They could feel that fear themselves very keenly.</p><hr/>
<p>
  <em>*The legend of Ccoa is told in the Indian Quechua tribe in south Peru. Ccoa is a huge cat, almost three meters long and has dark stripes running down his fur. This evil cat has control over lightning and hail. Ccoa has the power to ruin crops and wipe out humans. Offerings must be made to Ccoa on a regular basis to keep on the safe side. He's the one that Purrcy locked down when they were talking at the top of the steps in the square when they first arrived.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Name Notes:</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>(1) Vesuvius and Halti are both names of volcanoes on Earth. (And thus of ancient human-created nature deities....)</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>(2) Miru - to look (Jp): to remind the Plague Master to open his eyes, to see reality, and his way to kindness and a better balance of selflessness.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>(3) Meiki - promise (Jp): to remind Nureha that she promised Purrcy she would behave and try to learn how to properly live on Theldesia with others.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>(4) Setsubou - intense desire, hope (Jp): as stated above, because they were born to Adventurers at the time they were trying to get back home, his name is the reminder and nod to that intensely deep desire they all have to get there and of their hope that keeps them moving forward regardless.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Do you like how I've woven MeowLi into the tapestry in a surprising way? :D I've had fun with it.</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. MeowLi Comes to Log Horizon</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>MeowLi scanned the clearing for the hundredth time, or so it felt. Her mother had told her so many times to wait for her here, hiding in a tree as a cat to stay safe, promising that she would come as soon as she could.</p>
<p>MeowLi had always believed that her mother was such a worry wart. She'd been trained for this practically from birth. It wasn't until she'd first stepped foot into the unbounded Gate of Time that she had understood. She'd lived a life of protected innocence until that moment. Even then, she'd still had a repeat of that experience when she'd suddenly found herself in this area instead of walking down the street of the unbounded Gate of Time.</p>
<p>The forest and mountains her parents had described for her were overwhelming in their reality of height and breadth. This world was so much larger than the one large city. The forest went on for longer than she could see and the mountains were taller than any spire. Even the blue sky with white "clouds" and the "sun" were new, for all she'd been told the stories.</p>
<p>She'd confirmed the clearing, picked a tree and climbed into it and stayed put. Other creatures had sometimes passed through the clearing and her ears could hear small creatures she couldn't see. There were so many sounds she'd never heard before she was spending most of her time listening and trying to identify them.</p>
<p>Sounds above that turned out to be the branches moving and the leaves brushing against each other. Sounds as the creatures moved through the grass, some munching to eat it. Sounds that ended up being brightly colored creatures hopping and flying from branch to branch and tree to tree, sharp sounds that hurt her ears but were musical nonetheless.</p>
<p>Her parents hadn't prepared her for all the new sounds. Nor the smells. Sometimes she heard a sound and a smell came with it and her body would want to go hunting. She'd decided not to until it was nightfall and her mother hadn't arrived. Then she might so that she could be hidden by the darkness.</p>
<p>That they'd told her about. That the darkness was as huge as the land and darker than the dark of the Gate of Time, save for the bright points of light overhead that matched her mother's patterning, but without the swirls. Her mother had tried to promise she would come before that, though, and MeowLi was rather hoping for it. The experience was already overwhelming.</p>
<p>This was more peaceful to comprehension and visually upon arrival ...well ...or rather it was different from the unbounded Gate of Time and similar to home but still the same confusion in different ways. She was already tired and her senses stretched beyond what they could deal with. She went to put her head down to try to sleep for some of the waiting time, when there was motion that her eye caught.</p>
<p>She turned to look again and her mother stepped out into the clearing and called her. Immediately she was down, out of the tree, and running for her. "Hahaue!" she cried as she transformed and grabbed her mother.</p>
<p>Purrcy held her back, very tightly for a long time and purred until MeowLi had had her fill and was calming down a little. They stepped back from each other a little, then Purrcy said, "MeowLi, Chichiue says I'm to tell you that this is our First meeting, for me."</p>
<p>MeowLi jumped just a little, then shook a bit. "When was my First meeting?" she asked.</p>
<p>"You were born two weeks ago along my timeline. That was your First meeting."</p>
<p>MeowLi couldn't believe it. "It was that early you came to rescue me, for all of that worry? And how can you be so worried for me now, when I am only that old? You don't know this me."</p>
<p>Purrcy bowed. "I understand your distress. Please forgive me. As your mother I was in a complete panic as soon as we had our First meeting. Only your father's requirement that I couldn't come save the panicked you until I'd learned properly how to time walk kept me from coming before now, even.</p>
<p>"If I have worried so much for you for all your time, how can you think it wasn't because I didn't already understand the difficulty you would face? Have I not always been your mother?"</p>
<p>MeowLi was defeated. "I'm sorry, Hahaue."</p>
<p>"Chichiue says you performed marvelously, and I already know that the goal for which you were sent has been met by you. Thank you very much for taking care of my husband for me so that we could become your parents.</p>
<p>"He was so surprised by your First meeting with him. Chichiue has been secretly disappointed he didn't give you more hugs spontaneously after he thought he'd figured it out from your slips.</p>
<p>"He also understood after your First meeting how difficult that had been for you. It was not an easy thing, for us to send you to the unbounded Gate of Time, nor is this place any easier for you."</p>
<p>"No, it's not," MeowLi had to admit, although she hung her head in shame.</p>
<p>A warm hand took hers. "You have and are experiencing what all Adventurers experienced when they were brought here from Earth. The overwhelming confusion and loss was terrible for us, even though our world had been so similar to this one.</p>
<p>"I'm going to take you to our home. It's in a city that's large like the Gate of Time. It has politics that are played, and people kind and stern, it has markets and quiet places. But that's almost all that is similar. It's a city of Adventurers, Akiba. We've told you what we can of it, I would assume, since we want you to be as familiar with it all as possible, but it won't do it justice at all."</p>
<p>MeowLi shook her head. "Even to be told it, I was completely unprepared for the unbounded Gate of Time, or so I felt. Once I knew enough, the lessons began to become real and to fit."</p>
<p>"It will be the same, I'm sure, but I hope less fearful," Purrcy said kindly. "Adventurers are strange to those who haven't lived on Earth to understand them. They'll speak and act normally and a small comment will make you blink, like Time unbounded did for you.</p>
<p>"It's a change of experience and you have to let it go as a thing you'll never understand. All of the People of the Land must do it. You won't be alone in that regard. However, the People of the Land aren't like the people of the Gate of Time either."</p>
<p>Her mother was going into the exact same lecture she'd given over and over in her worry, but this time MeowLi was patient with it. It was her mother's First time to say it and now that she'd come to this time herself, she knew she would want to hear it to remember it well. The reality was so much more sobering and focus-producing.</p>
<p>MeowLi held on tightly to her mother's hand. She also knew that she was beginning the next Long Time when she would be alone again without her parents or close family with her. She had missed her parents the most. It had helped to have her father for so long the second time, his First time. This would be her only long, but brief, moment with her mother.</p>
<p>"There are children there who understand and are your same age who will help you, and they are also my children."</p>
<p>MeowLi blinked and her head reared back and her ears turned. "You've never told me you have other children."</p>
<p>"Then I'll remember not to tell you, but now that I have, and because it will become obvious when I take you, I'll tell you now. I have four children on Earth that I was torn from. Here in this place, you know I'm the Caretaker and have adopted all the creatures of the land as children.</p>
<p>"In Akiba, the guild Log Horizon is my adoptive family and they will be yours until we come and even thereafter. The guildmaster, Shiroe, is my senior son in Log Horizon, some few years older than twenty. Give him respect, but help him relax once you've relaxed. He needs to be reminded on occasion that he really is only in his twenties.</p>
<p>"The next senior is Naotsugu. On Earth he's older than Shiroe. He's the one to go to for pets and comfort and a warm lap when you're missing the arms of your parents. He'll quietly let you rest in that warmth. His wife, Marielle, is my senior daughter and guildmistress of our sister guild. She'll bring sunshine when you require it, but she'll also comfort tears that won't stay down. When you're insecure, find her and she'll protect you, although they all will do that.</p>
<p>"Tetorō is my son and daughter. He has two aspects, one male and one female. He prefers the male and is male on Earth, but don't be surprised if you see him female. He'll tease you and it will be hard unless you act like you don't care. Be calmer than he is and you'll pass his tests. He's kind at heart though and will show up to protect you fiercely if you require it.</p>
<p>"He's also my outside secretary, so will occasionally ask you if he can kill me yet. Tell him no, not yet, but if he'd like to pet you, he can. Then make him hold you as cat and pet you until he falls asleep. He's just missing me as much as you are. He's your best sibling when your bed is too lonely, but only as cat." She gave MeowLi a scolding look and MeowLi blushed.</p>
<p>"Hahaue. I'm not going to do anything like that."</p>
<p>"Good." The firm scold helped MeowLi settle a little more. That was another comforting normal piece of reality and her childhood to hold onto. "Akatsuki is the little mother who watches over Shiroe and is his girlfriend. She is painfully shy, although she's learned much strength over these years.</p>
<p>"When she speaks, be patient to hear everything she says and doesn't say. Read her body. Like us felinoids, it says more than her words can say. If she's silent, look for what her body is saying. Likely she's asking you to like her, or asking if she can help you, without the words being able to come.</p>
<p>"She tries hard and seems hard, but inside she's very tender and concerned. Let her help you and be a strength for you. When you need to sit in silence with a companion, that is her. She'll even listen if you need to talk, it's just her that has troubles with finding the words." Purrcy smiled at her own memories.</p>
<p>"Touya and Minori are brother and sister, and twins. They'll understand your loss and feelings of loneliness when you're missing your siblings who are with us still in your time. They've been very fortunate to have been able to come together to this place. They'll also take you under wing and help you learn what you need to learn and make it far less frightening for you. Ask them all your questions. They won't mind.</p>
<p>"Isuzu is also one of the children your age, although slightly older. She is currently out learning to make her own way in the world, like all who go to university, but here in Yamato, university is living life itself.</p>
<p>"We Adventurers are more advanced than the Gate of Time by a margin. Both are more advanced by leaps and bounds than the People of the Land. You'll need to come to understand those differences, because you'll likely end up spending most of your time with People of the Land, is our guess.</p>
<p>"Rudy, the last of the children, is who you should turn to when you need to understand them. He was a Person of the Land but when he died the other children begged Shiroe to bring him back to life. Using a scroll spell, Shiroe turned Rudy into an Adventurer so he could revive. I'm sure he'd be willing to tell you if that was a good thing in the end or a terribly difficult thing.</p>
<p>"He's lonely for a friend, with Isuzu gone. They were partners before that. If you need someone to just talk to, and Minori isn't it, try Rudy. He'll at least commiserate with you on the difficulties of living with Adventurers and help you navigate those waters."</p>
<p>"Hahaue, you're already moving too much into Adventure-speech," MeowLi complained at her.</p>
<p>Purrcy laughed. "Of course. Being home will do that, but so will having to talk about Adventurers as an Adventurer." Purrcy pulled her close and MeowLi let her. She rather wanted a few more hugs. "That was enough to overwhelm your memory banks, and we still have the overwhelming meeting to go. Then you can rest in a safe place.</p>
<p>"Here in the zones is not safe for you. Don't ever leave Akiba unless you're with the Adventurers and Shiroe says you may. There are things here that will kill you and we'll be sad to never get to see you again." MeowLi shivered. Her mother sounded more serious than she'd ever sounded in MeowLi's life. She promised it. She really wanted to see her siblings and parents again at the end of this long time.</p>
<p>The forest and field disappeared and they were suddenly standing in a room that was square with a high ceiling, although not as high as the first floor of her home in the Gate of Time. Sounds met her ears when they first arrived, then there was silence, then very loud sounds as many voices cried out her mother's name.</p>
<p>"Shush!" Purrcy scolded. "So noisy, children, when I've brought someone to meet you." They were already enveloped in several arms and hugs, however. MeowLi thought it odd, but then at the same moment also very warm and comforting. It wasn't too dissimilar to when she and her siblings had been young and they'd all welcome Hahaue when she returned from working. It was nice to know it was like that here as well.</p>
<p>It took a while for two sets of arms and bodies to move, but her mother's arms stayed protectively around her, for which she was grateful. Purrcy did begin to purr, however. Finally she said. "This will take too long. Here, step back just a bit to give me room." The two reluctant huggers let go and moved back.</p>
<p>Suddenly Purrcy-cat was rubbing the legs of the orange-haired person to MeowLi's right. With a cry that one dropped to the floor and held on tightly while he was rubbed and purred to. There were two more of Purrcy in the room next and the original, still holding MeowLi, let her go just a bit and turned her around to watch the room. MeowLi was grateful to be able to observe this family group before having to face them.</p>
<p>One of her mother's aspects went back to holding the tall young man that could only be the Archmage Shiroe, to comfort him. A shorter woman than MeowLi was standing at his side, holding on to his sleeve until that Purrcy pulled her into the hug as well. That had to be the girlfriend...Akatsuki.</p>
<p>The final aspect went to the three children first. MeowLi carefully listed off their names. Touya, Minori, and Rudy. Rudy did look different, and unlike all the others he was content with a brief hug and a longer rub of the head, even though he did look happy enough with all of the other chaos going on. He was like the people of the Gate of Time - not as interested in showing displays of affection, nor of receiving them.</p>
<p>He was the first to look MeowLi in the eye. He bowed slightly and began to come, but the closest Purrcy stopped him. "Not yet, Rudy. Let her get used to everyone first. This is worse for her than your first time." He looked very sympathetic and MeowLi was grateful that someone else might have had such an overwhelming situation as to understand.</p>
<p>Once the twins were greeted, that aspect went to the last person in the room, who had waited patiently. "Naotsugu, it's so good to see you. You'll have to give my hug to Marielle or swear everyone to secrecy that I was here so she won't punish you for not calling her over, but I haven't much time, this visit."</p>
<p>They embraced and MeowLi didn't hear what her mother whispered to Naotsugu, but he gave a nod and a promise, then let her mother go and looked at MeowLi kindly. MeowLi blushed and hid just a little more into her mother. He did seem kind though.</p>
<p>He turned to tease the aspect of Purrcy who was with him - about how she must be loving being able to get her hugs and pets all at once instead of having to go to everyone one at a time. Her mother freely agreed, then disappeared to return to the mother holding her.</p>
<p>The one with the guildmaster was talking to him quietly now, about if he would take MeowLi in and watch over her. He gave a sharp glance to MeowLi. MeowLi tried to stand firm and show him her strength, but it was difficult. He gave a nod regardless and that Purrcy returned to her mother again.</p>
<p>"Tetorō," her mother said over her head. "I can't leave that one with you yet. Nyanta isn't done with all of me yet. When he's healed enough, I'll send it back to you, but you'll need to share."</p>
<p>Tetorō looked up at them. "Why? I mean, not that I wouldn't."</p>
<p>"Because to this one, that is an aspect of Hahaue that she will also be jealous to have to share. When it gets bad, take them both to bed with you at night. She'll be needing the extra comfort those nights."</p>
<p>Tetorō turned to look at MeowLi. His eyes went distant. "He's reading your status - your name, how healthy you are, and what you are. You'll see Adventurers do that to you and to everyone they meet. That's what they're doing then. It's automatic and not meant to be rude. It's so they know how to face you, or to help you if you're injured." MeowLi nodded.</p>
<p>Tetorō was blushing. "Sorry. As she says, it's automatic, but I've been practicing not doing it since we shouldn't have to. I'm Tetorō."</p>
<p>"Hello," MeowLi called up all her lessons in comportment and from her time just left. "I'm MeowLi." She stopped because her mother had put her hand on her lips to prevent the rest. She looked up in surprise and her mother shook her head. She wasn't to tell their relationship?</p>
<p>With a reassuring pet of MeowLi's head, Purrcy turned her to the rest of the group. "This is MeowLi another one of my daughters. Please, take care of her for me until we come back. She's from the Gate of Time. She'll need quite a lot of training, both to understand Adventurers and to understand the base world of Theldesia."</p>
<p>Purrcy looked to the children. "She only has what you see on her and in her hands. Minori, please see to helping her get anything she needs. I've given Shiroe permission to access my funds already. Use them in her behalf." Minori gave a firm nod.</p>
<p>"Touya give her your strength like you do your sisters and help her learn a skill so she can feel useful to the guild and the city once she's strong enough. She does already have a skill set that Shiroe will need to discover. Perhaps he'll have a recommendation of what she can do." Shiroe and Touya both gave nods.</p>
<p>"Naotsugu and Akatsuki, please guard her heart when it gets sad and be her pillars and comfort, like you do for everyone." They also gave nods.</p>
<p>"Rudy, this time I'll leave you with the greatest burden." Rudy smiled kindly. "Please be MeowLi's teacher until she understands enough. She knows nothing about being a Person of the Land of Yamato. Please take her and teach her, both before she leaves this house and then on your rounds so she can come to understand. Let her walk by your side and learn from you."</p>
<p>Rudy bowed properly. "Yes, Lady Purrcy. I would be honored to help in the best way possible. You may rely on me." He was even as flowery as the people in the Gate of Time. For all that might be stifling, it also might be the most comforting.</p>
<p>MeowLi took a deep breath and stood away from her mother just a little, although she still held on to her skirts. With a bow, she requested, "Please take care of me for this Time. I will do my best to learn my lessons well and will try to not be too much of a burden."</p>
<p>Shiroe looked at her with what she supposed was his kindly look. "Welcome to Log Horizon, MeowLi. We're glad to have you join us. We'll do our best to see to your care until Purrcy returns. Thank you for needing us so that we could see her again, even for this brief time."</p>
<p>Minori had moved around the table and now held out her hand to MeowLi. "We're in the middle of breakfast. Will you join us? Then we can talk about what you need."</p>
<p>"Mostly, I need to eat and then sleep to wind down from the overwhelming day this has already been," MeowLi said honestly.</p>
<p>"We can let you do that, too," Minori promised, glancing at Purrcy.</p>
<p>MeowLi looked up at her mother and gave her one last hug. She was grateful when Purrcy also bent down and gave her a kiss on the top of her head. "Call for me when nothing else will comfort you and I'll come visit briefly," Purrcy whispered. MeowLi nodded. "I love you."</p>
<p>"I love you, too, Hahaue," she answered as her body started shivering. With a final pat on the head, Purrcy was gone, and Purrcy-cat with her.</p>
<p>Tetorō, still on the floor looked forlornly at the empty space, then looked at Meow-Li. He held out his hand. "Here, turn into small cat and I'll pet you until you can calm down. If you sleep, it's okay. I need it just as much as you do."</p>
<p>After only a brief pause MeowLi was escaping into his arms to tuck her head fully into the crook of his elbow. The petting wasn't soothing she was so tired and full of loneliness, but the rhythm did help her fall asleep.</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>The devastation of the west coast from the air looked like a combination of a glacier smoothing out the landscape, scraping all the living things off of it, and a massive nuclear attack and bombing with holes burnt and of many sizes pockmarking the smooth surfaces.</p>
<p>The Eagles were silent, the devastation overwhelming to them. Although Michael had warned them, he hadn't thought it would be this bad. Even the dragons were astounded and respected the silence.</p>
<p>High on the wind they circled over the City of Angels. The high walls were crumbled, although in places they still stood about half height, but that was the most. Every building inside was crushed into rubble and dust. The ancient tall skyscrapers that leaned, the city capitol building that was the Guild Hall, and the Cathedral. All were crushed into rubble.</p>
<p>"Even if the tree were whole, <em>could</em> they resurrect?" Life Support asked in whispered horror. No one had an answer.</p>
<p>"Is it even worth it for us to enter - for the same reason?" Avionics Safety asked.</p>
<p>"Yes," Michael said firmly. "One dragon's worth at a time. Hop off and right back on and get out. We'll look again from up here when we're done to see if we woke anything up...but I'm betting the entire coast is completely empty. I have no idea how we're going to repopulate People of the Land. Halti, you're first." Since they'd partied the dragons in, she heard him and circled down towards the city.</p>
<p>When Halti was a fourth of the way down, Michael sent the green. Another fourth and he sent the yellow-green. He sent the blue down as Halti was settling down to earth. As she rose again, her passengers back on, he told Vesuvius to start taking them down.</p>
<p>Michael kept a close watch on the city the whole time, looking for any movement at all. He knew they were all doing it. He also kept watch for anything outside the city, but there was nothing - no motion anywhere except the waves in their never ending pattern of washing up on the not too distant shore. The white sands of the beach were now the white sand and earth of the coast all the way to the mountains where the ground turned brown and tan in interesting stripes.</p>
<p>The yellow-green dragon was just lifting up when there was a spot of motion. A dart from one hole to another outside the city. "Reed. Motion at four o'clock outside the city." He was on the green. "Hole hopper. Chase it into the city. We'll catch it when we get there."</p>
<p>The blue settled to his feet and his passengers leaped off. They paused a moment since they were setting the trap, then ran back to get back on the dragon. He pushed into the sky and lazily turned to the north, then around to the west to cut off any escape from the area towards the ocean.</p>
<p>Vesuvius slowed down a little and as soon as he was low enough, the Eagles leaped for the ground, landing, then running for hiding places around the gate. Vesuvius landed on a slightly taller outcropping of rubble so he wasn't on low ground and waited, nose pointed towards the gate - the obvious target.</p>
<p>"On its way in," Reed's quiet report came in. They went on higher alert. As they watched, a thin waif suddenly popped up from the ground and ran pell-mell into the city through the gate.</p>
<p>"Wait! Wait!" it cried in a high voice, hand raised to the dragon who had raised his wings. "Please, don't leave me here!"</p>
<p>It was tangled in the web and rolling, having tripped on it as planned. The Eagles were on it immediately, holding down the edges of the webbing with feet and pointing weapons at it. Bulbous eyes in a sunken face took in the dangerous people around it and hands covered the eyes to sob disconsolately.</p>
<p>Michael cautiously crouched down to take a closer look. He reached out a slow hand and took hold of a wrist and pulled. There wasn't any strength, although that hand really didn't want to move. "How long have you been starving? How long ago was the city razed?"</p>
<p>"The Fourth of July Special, one month after the two year anniversary of the catastrophe," came the thin answer.</p>
<p>The Eagles were in shock. They were almost to the third year anniversary mark now, and that would have been shortly after Purrcy arrived in Akiba, from the Log Horizon stories. Michael wondered if the AIs had known at that time and if that was why they'd made her come in from her playing solo in the field. "That long? Was everything dead then, or did that take time?"</p>
<p>"Time. The Devourer took out the city first, and those who were outside tried to take it down in small groups first, not understanding. Then someone got away and started to collect everyone up and they came in one large group. They tried everything, but in three days they were all dead, too."</p>
<p>"The Devourer did all the landscape damage?"</p>
<p>"I don't know. The rest of the monsters disappeared. Some of them were killed, but they were hard to kill."</p>
<p>"How far did you travel before you got here to see it?"</p>
<p>"I came from the north, but I'd been out on a small sailboat when they got here. I saw the devastation from the ocean and was afraid to come in. I drifted and when everything was gone I came in." Tears welled up in the bulging eyes, "And everything was gone."</p>
<p>The Adventurer had been this way long enough he wasn't even labeled an Adventurer anymore, but with nothing around to hunt or eat it wasn't surprising he'd starved this much.</p>
<p>"I'm going to have to ask you to promise to not eat any of us, or you'll have to agree to a Summon contract and we've already had enough troubles with those."</p>
<p>"Why?"</p>
<p>"You've become an undead."</p>
<p>The sad look wasn't surprised in the least. "I won't eat you - I think. At least, I'd rather not. And I'd rather not be alone anymore either." Michael's warning jewelry wasn't going off so at least for the moment he wasn't lying or a threat.</p>
<p>"Is there anything else around here at all? More of the monsters that come back every once in a while, that kind of thing?"</p>
<p>"Not for a long time. Why come when there's nothing here? ...Are you from the east coast?"</p>
<p>"Yes. It's not much better out that way or in between either, but it's not this bad anywhere on the other side of the mountains. We've got some friends to meet that went south into Mexico, but you can come with us for now. At least as long as you stay good. We'll see what we can do about getting you back to proper Adventurer status, too. Got a name?"</p>
<p>"Brian."</p>
<p>Michael stood up and stepped back. Two Eagles got Brian untangled and out of the net and it was put away, but he was watched closely. "We're going to put you to sleep for now, but we'll wake you up when we've reached safer places," Michael told him.</p>
<p>Brian nodded and closed his eyes. Michael nodded and a spell was cast. Brian was immediately asleep, not having any resistance and not giving any either. Michael put his hand on Brian's arm and put him in the guildmaster's list. Because he was undead, he went.</p>
<p>Michael sighed and stood back up. Vesuvius hop-soared down to them and they climbed on quickly and were in the air. "Well go south now as far as the devastation goes. When we get to the point of needing rest, we'll move back to the mountains. A defensible valley is better than holes in the ground."</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>They passed over Diego, another Adventurer city. It looked the same as the City of Angels. They passed over the equivalent of the border between California and Mexico and by the Baja Peninsula. The sun set into the ocean, but they kept going. The ground below them hadn't changed by the time they had to set down and rest.</p>
<p>They were getting antsy to get to their four companions, but they'd made the dragons fly a long time, so they set a six hour rest with rotations. Reed reinforced it since they'd been up a long time themselves.</p>
<p>When they were back up, Michael passed around the first meal of rations from his dungeon store. Every meal they ate now meant that much less time in the Maze of Eternity. He gave up meat to the dragons, too. There likely wasn't much more to hunt around here than they'd seen on the way to the coast. That cost them another three meals, though, so it hurt. The dragons might be able to make it up to them, eventually.</p>
<p>"Why haven't things grown back up?" one asked, looking at the ground closely. He swore. "It's cursed ground even. Will we have to purify the entire coast, too? That's more than we can do, isn't it?"</p>
<p>Michael rubbed his head. "That's part of what we need to discuss. Circle up." They crouched, or sat, in a circle and the dragons settled around behind them. Michael explained to the dragons the enemy they were about to face, the verbal description also serving as the reminder to the entire party of how to be thinking about what needed to be done.</p>
<p>"My guess is that it's not just an increase of level or HP or whatever. I think it's made up of every living thing it's touched, including the plants and creatures. Remember what they said happened at the last bosses of the Higan Special.</p>
<p>"When they were purified and defeated, they changed to something good before disappearing. I expect that when we purify that thing it will return to being the land, the plants, and the people. I have no idea if they'll be alive or not, but I think just purifying it will purify the land, too.</p>
<p>"And I think it was assigned to collect up all the Vengeful Spirits. That's why it was chasing the first one we caught. He's probably the last one before they can get in. If I'm right, then we've got enough time to finish this and get through the Maze ourselves. We'll find most of the nastiest Overwritten in the Maze, but until we bring the Vengeful Spirits with us that come out of that monster, the last door won't open.</p>
<p>"While you're thinking about that...we've got to figure out how to handle the sheer size of the thing. With only twenty-four of us we'll be really thin if we surround it, and since it's fluid I'm not sure there really is a 'surrounding' of it. If we want to do the purification spell we did before, that's a long time to hold still while it's moving around to capture us.</p>
<p>"I'm not sure it knows - or perhaps cares - we exist unless we're hurting it. It wanted the Vengeful Spirit, but until we fired on it, it wasn't particularly chasing us. We might be food, but that's it until it's attacked."</p>
<p>"I'd like more concrete data. Can we talk to that ghost now?" Reed asked.</p>
<p>"We can, but it will pull the monster. Let's talk basic strategy at least first." Reed nodded and they got down to heavy discussion and debate. When they thought they had a workable outline with a few ifs and maybes, Reed asked again.</p>
<p>Michael called the Vengeful Spirit out of his ring. They boxed it in so it couldn't flee and he went walking in the spirit realm. "Hey. You wouldn't happen to be the kid that followed Indicus to the other side of the moon, would you?"</p>
<p>The spirit blinked, then tipped his head. "You wouldn't happen to be the guard with a dust mote on your shoulder, would you? Is the apprentice with you?"</p>
<p>"No, I'm alone at the moment, except my guild, but yes, that's me. Looks like you've been through a lot. Since this is our first meeting in my timeline, will you tell me your name?"</p>
<p>"Brian, Mister Michael."</p>
<p>Michael blinked. "As in the undead Brian?"</p>
<p>"Yes."</p>
<p>"I'm sorry if we killed you."</p>
<p>"No, it's part of the plan."</p>
<p>"Okay. Start at the beginning."</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>MeowLi woke to another new sound, although she had heard something similar somewhere before. There were lots of strange smells, too, but her mother's scent still lingered in the room and that was comforting. Her ears turned this way and that before she opened her eyes, trying to place things in the room. The sound was coming from above her and was related to the place she was resting.</p>
<p>She finally opened her eyes and looked. She was sitting in a large lap and the person was leaning back, with his head resting on the back of the couch, the sound coming from his nose and mouth - which was hanging open and a bit of drool was coming from his mouth.</p>
<p>She supposed if he was sleeping so well, that perhaps she ought not wake him, but she wasn't sure what to call that noise he was making as he breathed. She hoped it wasn't a medical condition. Likely if it was, her mother would have already fixed it long ago.</p>
<p>As MeowLi carefully stepped from Naotsugu's lap to the couch, that thought made her wonder just how long and where in time she was. Time was shorter outside than in the linear Gate of Time and she'd been thrown out of the other one so had no idea when this was.</p>
<p>No. It had to be the day of transition when the Gate of Time had become linear. This was the day her parents had first entered together, Purrcy very pregnant with her and her siblings. Her mother had said that, she remembered now. This was her past and she had to live here until her present.</p>
<p>Her mother had also reassured her many times before she began her responsibilities to her father that it would be short - only a few months, but she wouldn't or couldn't say just how many. MeowLi hoped in the full depths of her heart it hadn't turned into a year or more.</p>
<p>She settled on the couch and tucked all of her feet and her tail under her and tried to think of what was next, rather than what she couldn't really affect. That had helped her a lot in the unbounded Gate of Time.</p>
<p>There had been a lot to learn there. She could do the same thing here. And this time she already had people willing to help - a family structure that would help her move forward. She took a deep breath, held it, then let it out and her ears perked forward as she began to focus on what she could and should do.</p>
<p>"You look like you're feeling better. That's good," a voice as warm as her father's said, although it was deeper. She looked up. It appeared Naotsugu had woken up while she was thinking. Her ears had caught the lack of sound, now that she thought about it, but it hadn't registered as a threat, but then he wasn't supposed to be one.</p>
<p>"I am, thank you," she answered. She remembered she was supposed to ask questions. "What was that sound you were making while you were sleeping?"</p>
<p>"Eh?" Naotsugu's eyebrows jumped. "Oh. You've never heard snoring before?" He rubbed the back of his neck. "Somehow sitting with a cat on one's lap puts one to sleep, but sleeping on the couch puts a horrible crook in my neck and it's such an odd angle that it blocks off my throat, so it makes that sound.</p>
<p>"Some people snore anyway as their throats relax during sleep. Marie just shoves me over. Rolling to a new position will often fix it."</p>
<p>"Oh. That's what it was. I have heard it before, just never so close over my head." She looked around. The rest of the room was empty and cleaned up. "I must have slept a long time. I'm sorry."</p>
<p>"No, no," Naotsugu was quick to wave it off. "Traveling always does that, and considering you had some pretty bad jet lag, we weren't too concerned. Tetorō hit you up with a few healing spells just to make sure and you seemed to relax a lot better after that."</p>
<p>MeowLi frowned. There had been several turns of phrase that had gone in one ear, twisted in her brain, and out the other ear. She had to assume that's what her mother meant by Adventurer's said strange things occasionally that would have no purchase in her brain because of the differences of experiences.</p>
<p>It had happened a lot at the beginning of the unbounded Gate of Time, too, until she'd had enough experiences to understand them. She'd gotten the general gist of Naotsugu's comment though.</p>
<p>"He wanted to know why you needed such a big up on the Spirit Heal spell though. Do you know?"</p>
<p>MeowLi knew that spell. Her mother had to have it used on her a lot. "That's the one that helps Hahaue," she froze and her heart stopped. She was going to have to watch her tongue a lot more, yet again. That was hard.</p>
<p>A heavy warm hand landed on her head, jolting her. "We all call her that. It's okay to use it here if that's how you're used to calling her. We can tell she cares a lot about you and that you care a lot for her, too."</p>
<p>His thumb rubbed her cheek up into her eye and her head tilted in response. It wasn't unlike how her father would rub her when she was a kitten, and the sizes were about that relation at the moment, although the hand was heavier and larger.</p>
<p>MeowLi swallowed and tried again to answer his question. "H-hahue has to have it cast on her a lot. We asked her about it once and she said it's because she's always going up higher levels to work and when she comes down too fast there's a cost to be paid and that refills her so she can heal and keep going."</p>
<p>Naotsugu stopped rubbing her, then took his hand back. "Yes, that's what the spell's for, but why would you need it?" MeowLi thought harder. "Did you come down levels suddenly?"</p>
<p>"I was dropped out of the Gate of Time," she said uncertainly. "Would that have done it?"</p>
<p>"Oh, now that's an interesting factoid," Naotsugu put his chin in his hand and rested his elbow on his knee. His finger tapped his cheek as he considered it. He stopped and looked towards the door in the middle of the wall opposite the front door. "I think that would be a good opener for your meeting with Shiroe, but first, are you hungry?"</p>
<p>"Not really," she answered honestly.</p>
<p>"Bathroom?"</p>
<p>She considered that, then blushed. "Yes, thank you." Naotsugu pointed and explained where it was - over to the hall and then down a room. She decided to turn into felinoid form first. Her grey frock was all she had to wear, though it seemed out of place. Everyone else here had been wearing colorful clothing of such different varieties she was actually secretly looking forward to shopping for clothes.</p>
<p>She ended up sitting sideways on the couch and as she glanced the direction Naotsugu had pointed her eyes were caught by the strangest thing she'd ever seen. Her mouth fell open and her eyes stared, then followed the <em>tree trunk</em> up until it disappeared through a hole to continue going up even farther.</p>
<p>"It goes all the way up to the roof and higher," Naotsugu said with a smile. "We first saw Hahaue when she escaped to the top to get away from some toughs in town. We bought the building because having it there made it super cheap to buy. She and Akatsuki love it. I'll ask Akatsuki to take you up it and show you around after your meeting. Do you know how to climb them?"</p>
<p>"Hahaue did make us learn," MeowLi admitted as her ears fell. "They were my least favorite lessons, ...until I had to climb the tree this morning. Then they became my favorite rather suddenly."</p>
<p>Naotsugu patted her on the head. "I can imagine, if you were dumped into a random zone."</p>
<p>"I was," MeowLi said shortly, then got up.</p>
<p>She couldn't keep her eyes from continuously glancing at the tree until she was in the hallway, though. Here, the ceiling was shorter. She assumed it was large in the entry like the entry and audience hall at home were for the same sort of effect, and because of the tree.</p>
<p>It certainly made the tree very awe inspiring so odd and strange as it was. Why would trees be growing up <em>through</em> houses and buildings? She tucked that question into her file to ask.</p>
<p>The bathroom was small and quaint, rather like the student apartments, but familiar nonetheless and that relieved her quite a lot. She didn't waste time, but quickly returned. If Shiroe was waiting for her to meet with her she shouldn't dally. That would have been rude generally, but it also felt like making a high ranking city official wait. They didn't have a lot of time so appointment schedules were important to meet a little early.</p>
<p>Her father's words, as always, ran through her head at times like this. Those lessons had helped anchor her in the unbound Gate of Time and they would likely do the same here. She let it comfort her like she had then. It made it feel like he was still walking with her.</p>
<p>"I'm ready," she said to Naotsugu, standing properly with her hands clasped before her. She'd stopped between the door to what she assumed was the office and the couch.</p>
<p>He got up with a smile. "Great. Come on in, then." He knocked once on the door, then opened it and waited for her to enter first.</p>
<p>MeowLi carefully stepped into the room and then continued when Naotsugu followed her in to close the door. It was nice to have the consistency, but all of a sudden he felt like a guard because he stayed behind her and near the door. The central part of the room had a low table, a couch on the far side of it and a shorter couch on this side, then chairs at either end, but a lot of chairs were scattered around the far right side of the room.</p>
<p>"Awake, then? Did you sleep well?" Shiroe's voice said from her left. He was putting down a feather pen on top of a large document on his desk that covered several other documents. He pushed up his round glasses and rose to his feet. "Have a seat," he offered, gesturing to the short couch.</p>
<p>He was himself walking to sit in the middle of the long couch. She wondered at that, that he hadn't taken the chair closest to his desk. Was it a sign of importance that one person got the largest seat in the room? It didn't seem a question to ask here, but maybe one of the other younger children could answer it later.</p>
<p>She filed that one away, too, behind the first one in level of importance, as she sat gingerly in the place indicated. She put her hands in her lap, holding them clasped together, as nervous as ever at an interview or a formal personal meeting.</p>
<p>She didn't let her ears show it though. She'd worked hard to train them to point forward with interest at times like this when it was so important. She did have to sit on her tail hard, though. She'd learned to let it twitch ever so slightly at the tip behind the back of her leg where most people wouldn't see it.</p>
<p>"I did sleep well, thank you," she finally remembered to answer the question and hoped she hadn't offended him with the long pause.</p>
<p>Shiroe only smiled and said, "That's good."</p>
<p>"Shiroe, she says that she was dropped out of the Gate of Time into the zone Purrcy found her in. Would something like that have made it so that she would have to have the massive Spirit Healing?" Naotsugu asked.</p>
<p>Shiroe frowned slightly as he thought about that. "If the Gate of Time itself is up in the layers, I suppose." He looked at MeowLi. "Have you eaten yet, or do you feel like eating?" MeowLi shook her head. "Were you there with Purrcy?"</p>
<p>"Yes," she answered, carefully not saying anything more than she was required to, to answer the question.</p>
<p>"Did she ever perform the ritual purifications there that the High Priestess is required to perform?"</p>
<p>"No? There are no ritual purifications that I'm aware of in the Temple complex," she answered honestly.</p>
<p>Shiroe nodded. "Interesting. The whole city is in at least the milli layer then, and that drop would have definitely wiped you out. Did you fall unconscious when you were dropped?"</p>
<p>MeowLi swallowed. "Yes." It came out very tense, and his face went soft.</p>
<p>"You woke up to monsters in the zone, then."</p>
<p>MeowLi shivered. "Yes," she said in a very small voice.</p>
<p>"I'm sorry you had to have a frightening experience. Did they cause you any injury?"</p>
<p>"No. I was able to escape into a tree and they left after a while."</p>
<p>"That's good," Shiroe relaxed just a little. He'd actually been concerned. She wondered if it was because of her mother's warning that she would die in the zones without proper protection and preparation. She'd certainly felt like it at that frightening moment in time and she was glad it was now in the past of this linear time line.</p>
<p>Shiroe paused to consider her for a while. "It's rather difficult for me to not want to ask you a great many questions. I would assume, however, that Purrcy has required you to not answer the majority of them." His face took on an interesting look, very much like the calculating look of the gods when they were trying to get something out of Hahaue that she was just as determined to not let them get.</p>
<p>MeowLi tensed slightly as Shiroe looked down and away, the surest sign that he was about to go on the attack, beginning with a seemingly innocent and simple to answer question. He was going to be a terrible opponent and she wondered how her mother had ever sat across from him, even without him opening his mouth to begin for the first time.</p>
<p>"Hey, hey, Councilor. This isn't the time for that, you know. Go easy on her the first time. It's all too new for her and you don't need to be sitting here until sunrise and she's snoring instead of answering questions." Naotsugu was actually laughing. MeowLi's ear turned towards him just a little in her surprise. She was sure she wouldn't snore, but if it went on that long, she just might be sleeping.</p>
<p>"Very well, Tank, I'll be good," Shiroe said calmly and MeowLi did not relax. That was the move to appear to change locations, when in fact one was only changing tactics. He sat back and rested both arms on the back of the couch, putting one leg over the other casually. Oh...he was a consummate negotiator, indeed. She needed to go first on this one, just to get the one and only point she was going to ever get.</p>
<p>"Hahaue said that to sit across the table from you was to be laid bare in only one look and three questions. She trained me most fiercely to only say, 'I can't tell you or we'll both be dead,' and then to firmly keep my mouth shut." Naotsugu laughed so hard he bent over double, gasping for air and Shiroe had to go from a mildly offended air to resigned as he watched the man behind MeowLi.</p>
<p>"Yes, she would have said that to you before bringing you," Shiroe agreed.</p>
<p>MeowLi wanted so very badly to say, <em>No, she said it every time she thought of you or complained about another god who wouldn't let up and wanted to see if they could make us kids talk while I was growing up</em>, but she very firmly didn't. And she just as firmly hoped that had been enough to derail him.</p>
<p>She slumped inside when the glint in his eye said that he'd risen to the challenge. He liked this kind of game. He was going to be as bad as or worse than her own father and perhaps even her mother. She took a deep breath, but only let it seem to be a light sigh.</p>
<p>Shiroe gave her a smile as he put his hands loosely on his knee and said, "Well, then, we'll go the easy route. I'll tell you my guesses and you just let me stay in the dark." MeowLi blinked. She didn't know this method. What was his game now?</p>
<p>"You were dropped out of the Gate of Time at the veil, which means for some reason you couldn't be taken through to linear Time. If your birth came after that transition, it wouldn't do to have you cross that particular boundary, would it?</p>
<p>"Nyanta went into the Gate of Time before then and had a secretary name MeowLi - I assume you - that he couldn't figure out how he'd met but whom he was able to get a few minor clues from.</p>
<p>"Purrcy and Nyanta are now in the linear Gate of Time, having called me only an hour or so before she brought you here to say they were entering it. She let me know that she'd been given the skill to time walk and she can move through space with her ascendancy powers, which she showed us also when she brought you. I am surprised she could bring you with her. She's grown in strength quite a bit since she was given it.</p>
<p>"She was pregnant when she went in one hour ago, and she was not pregnant just now when she visited again." Shiroe moved to push up his glasses. "Your grey is exactly Nyanta's grey. You are their blood daughter, and she couldn't leave you to sit alone outside in a monster zone. That would be too painful for her to think of you alone and not act.</p>
<p>"Nyanta refused to let her go immediately however, since she still needed to heal before he would be willing to let her go, and likely made her take her lessons first in how to be a time walker so she wouldn't get lost. At her first opportunity, therefore, she returned to fetch you and bring you here." He clasped his hands and put them in his lap and looked at MeowLi, his eyes sharp behind his glasses.</p>
<p>MeowLi was frozen and had no way to open her mouth. "MeowLi, I am the Master Strategist and have been walking this world dungeon with your mother since she was sent by Izanami and Izanagi to our guild hall's tree. I am one of the few people who knows everything and have been the director of the majority of it. In this guild hall you are safe and your slips won't be dangerous. We'd even love to hear you having happy memories and be able to share them with you.</p>
<p>"However," his eyes went very sharp and she was pinned by them, "you may not say outside these walls anything of your lineage and past. Your lips are to remain tightly sealed outside this house and whenever we have guests in the house. That includes the boarders we have in the house.</p>
<p>"The People of the Land are still angry with the gods they've recently rejected for making Adventurers the High Priest and High Priestess. No one can know that you're related to them by blood. Neither Adventurers nor People of the Land are ready to know that it can even be a possibility. The conflicts and chaos that would create would be devastating still. We're working to begin to introduce the concept slowly so that it might become possible, but no one is ready for it to be proven.</p>
<p>"If you should slip, say that Hahaue has adopted you the same as she adopts everyone and they will be content with that answer. You may say you worked for Nyanta since you came out from the non-linear side and everyone in Akiba knows he was sent there twice, but it would make life simpler for you to only say you knew of him. Here in the city they are still angry with Izanagi and there are many who still only saw Nyanta even if it wasn't him.</p>
<p>"In this house he is Chichiue to Purrcy's Hahaue, so we understand all too well the torture it was to him to have to be the High Priest during that time. Only in these walls of Log Horizon are you safe to relax. Do you understand?"</p>
<p>MeowLi nodded vigorously, her mouth so dry she couldn't speak, her eyes so wide her eyewhiskers wanted to climb to the sky. "Very good. That's all I really had that was pressing at the moment. I'll summon Rudy back and he can answer any of your questions.</p>
<p>"Touya and Minori are part owners in a restaurant and because this was rather sudden they need to be there today. Minori at least is going to try to get tomorrow off so she can help you with shopping and the rest, so we hope you'll be able to relax here at home today."</p>
<p>"I thought I'd ask Shrimp to give her the tour, particularly the tree," Naotsugu said from the door.</p>
<p>Shiroe nodded. "That's a good thing to do until Rudy gets back. Have you told Marie yet?"</p>
<p>"Yes. She's excited, but she says she can't get free until dinner. That okay, if she and Serera come for dinner?"</p>
<p>Shiroe unexpectedly paused and he looked just a tad sad or uncomfortable. He looked at Naotsugu. "I think Serera would be very good for MeowLi...but I don't think she can know this secret."</p>
<p>"Mmm, no, probably not a good idea," Naotsugu agreed. "I'll tell Marie that one detail later tonight when we're alone."</p>
<p>"Okay, that's fine. I think she'll agree with the reasoning and keep her mouth shut." Shiroe crossed his arms loosely over his crossed knees and leaned lightly on them. "Crescent Moon League is our sister guild and is over half Adventurer children. Our children and theirs are all good friends, so you won't have a lack of happy companions to surround you, even if ours are having to work hard on some days.</p>
<p>"You're welcome to go over there and visit once we're all comfortable with how things are going. Just let whomever is on watch in the living room know you'll be out of the house and where so we won't worry."</p>
<p>He smiled and let MeowLi recover a little more. "And I'm sorry for one more warning, but please, don't ever go into Akiba proper without one of us and <em>never</em> leave Akiba unless I've approved it. If Purrcy would kill us both for you opening your mouth, both Nyanta and Purrcy will kill me over one hundred times for letting you get into so much danger." MeowLi nodded once again. She wasn't sure she ever wanted to anyway.</p>
<p>"So there," he sat back. "How did I do? And we don't have to die." He gave her a contented look.</p>
<p>She sighed to herself. She just had to overcome being very overwhelmed again was all. Then she knew what to say. "If I answered that, we'd both have to die." Both Shiroe and Naotsugu laughed.</p>
<p>She allowed herself to slump a little. She would have liked to have scolded her father a little for not warning her better. But then, she supposed that if he had been in a house and considered them family, how could it have been anything different than what he himself was? She could see him sitting in this room, just as pleased with the outcome, sitting just the same.</p>
<p>She was released, but as she reached Naotsugu again, Shiroe added one more. "Ah, ...they didn't happen to teach you how to cook, did they?" He sounded very hopeful.</p>
<p>MeowLi turned back to him with a sigh. "Yes," <em>and Chichiue says that you're still under punishment and aren't to have any curry until he returns to speak with you himself</em>. She didn't say that, though, or they'd have to die again.</p>
<p>Shiroe's face went to hopeful. "We really need to have a dedicated household chef around again, if you'd be willing."</p>
<p>MeowLi raised an eyebrow ridge, then gave a small nod. "I'll consider it, once I'm to a point I can even think of such a thing."</p>
<p>Shiroe relaxed. "Thank you. I'd greatly appreciate it." MeowLi gave a nod and Naotsugu escorted her out the door again.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Family Moving Forward</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Nyanta walked into his bedroom suite. He needed to get Purrcy prepared to meet with Priestess Meghan, but she hadn't been answering his chat requests. As he climbed on the futon, he realized why. She was deeply asleep, curled on her back with one foreleg hanging in the air above her. The kittens were scattered all over the futon, exploring without sight even still.</p>
<p>He moved to collect them into a pile, but didn't bother to put them close to their mother. It would give them strength to try to find her again. At least he'd have some time before they slipped off the edge, which they were close to doing when he'd arrived.</p>
<p>He was cat himself by the time he reached Purrcy. He sniffed her, but she was really quite asleep. Her belly was far too tempting, her curl exposing it to the ceiling. He started grooming her just under her neck. She didn't move.</p>
<p>As his head moved to between her forelegs, the one hanging limply in the air bounced in rhythm to his licks, tapping his head lightly as he moved under that leg. As he continued to the center of her belly, she seemed to begin to rouse a bit, giving a slight sigh.</p>
<p>As he reached her lower flank, his human side got more interested. He paused and lifted his head to turn and look at her face. A golden eye was open and looking at him, daring him it seemed. She still wasn't particularly awake, though.</p>
<p>That meant it could either be a dare to see if he'd continue forward on the path he was often reticent to walk, or a dare that would end in his ears being torn off. He wouldn't know until it happened at this point. ...Or if he allowed her to wake up a bit more she might be more open to whatever he wanted - maybe. He decided to watch her just a bit longer.</p>
<p>Purrcy watched him a bit longer, then sighed a deeper sigh and flipped over to sit looking at him while resting on her side instead of her back. "So?" she finally asked him.</p>
<p>That didn't really tell him what he wanted to know. "Are mew going to claw me next?" he asked.</p>
<p>Purrcy stared at him in shock for just a moment, then snorted a laugh as her nose dropped to her forelegs. Laughter in her voice, she said, "Should I? I suppose you have a reason for waking me up. I was wondering what you wanted." His ear flicked and her tail lifted half-way in a slow curl and landed on the bed with a soft <em>pat</em>. That was better. She wasn't irritated.</p>
<p>Nyanta turned back to groom her leg that was stretched out now in front of him, although he kept quite aware of her and what she might do next. When he reached the paw, he slumped down to the bed on his side, resting his back against her belly and side and groomed between her toes. They twitched and he put a paw on the leg to hold it still.</p>
<p>"I assume you woke me up for a reason other than so you could go to sleep and leave me awake?" she said, in a somewhat more dangerous voice than before.</p>
<p>"Mm," he said casually, leaning back and looking at her over his shoulder and back. "As much as I might wish to do more than that, mew have a meeting in a few minutes with Purriestess Meghan. I'll stay here and watch over the children while mew go and do that."</p>
<p>Purrcy stiffened, her whiskers going taut, then she slumped. "Oh. Right. I guess it's good you came to get me then." She pushed to her feet, and headed for the bathroom. Her tail swiped his nose slowly as she left his side - a payment for him waking her up when she'd been sleeping so peacefully.</p>
<p>He rolled back to watch her, a slight smile on his lips, then he let his head drop to the bed as the bathroom door closed behind her, and closed his eyes with a sigh. His ears turned a bit, placing where the children had managed to get to by this time. He was dozing by the time Purrcy returned to the room.</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>Purrcy couldn't help her ear turning. She tried to make it look like she was listening to a different sound rather than like consternation, even though it really was the latter.</p>
<p>She'd been quite worried about what she would be talking to Meghan about, but the large felinoid - who made fluffy look like three fur coats layered over each other with her dark stripes and speckling over the lighter greys of her fur and her tall and broad sizing - had carried the conversation almost from the beginning. She very obviously liked to talk.</p>
<p>Purrcy had learned quite a lot about the workings of the Temple of Time, the gossip of the various members of it Meghan cared about (for good or ill), and the general gossip of the city as related to the new High Priest and High Priestess of Inari. And most of all, really (Purrcy had to relent and relax) Meghan was devout to a fault, even to being completely loyal already to the new master and mistress of the temple.</p>
<p>She had mentioned Li Shou once sadly, but then had perked back up and passed on the happy gossip about how Purrcy and Nyanta were just as honorable and also a pleasure to serve and how their greatness surpassed all the other gods and goddesses of the city just as much as Li Shou's had. (She was still loyal enough to make them equal to, not lesser than, her former mistress.)</p>
<p>Purrcy finally was able to get in one question. "What would you suggest we should do as far as further increases in the temple staff positions? Are we at a sufficient level for the two Inari, or do we need to add more staff to handle both?"</p>
<p>She settled down to another long lecture and slightly rambling meander of words and thoughts. Since Purrcy herself tended to talk that way as well, she let the flow of words teach her what she needed to know, and filed the rest away as things to review once she had more structure and details to understand exactly what Meghan meant by what she'd said.</p>
<p>As soon as there was a proper topic to interrupt, Purrcy asked, "Do you wish to stay as the head Priestess for Izanami, or for Izanagi? I could certainly use your help and you seem to know what you're doing." Purrcy had followed her around before the meeting and her nap to see just what that might be, although she knew she hadn't seen all of it yet.</p>
<p>There was a pause of sound as Meghan stared at her with open mouth and wide yellow eyes. Then her mouth snapped shut and she looked away in a bit of embarrassment. "I - well, I...," Meghan paused again, and her ear flicked in embarrassment and she cleared her throat. "I know I'm not... but, it would be an honor."</p>
<p>"Not what?" Purrcy asked calmly.</p>
<p>"...Not worthy, really," Meghan said quietly.</p>
<p>Purrcy tipped her head, "No. I think you are, from what I've seen. Certainly, to upset the current balance before I understand exactly what that is wouldn't be helpful to the temple or the staff. I'd far rather learn what I need to learn with competent, practiced people in their positions.</p>
<p>"I've never had a staff to help me with the role I've found myself in and need quite a lot of training. Timberel will be helping me as my secretary, but there are things I'll need you to teach me as well, if you're willing."</p>
<p>Purrcy blinked at Meghan, who'd finally decided to look back at her politely. "I might change things around later, once I understand how it all works together, so that it can fit better with my specific needs, but that's down the road and we've got lots of road ahead of us."</p>
<p>Meghan's whiskers quivered and she bowed. "I would be honored to serve," she said quietly. With fierce devotion, she added, "I would be happy to see to the strengthening of Inari-no-Izanami. It is with gratitude I would continue seeing to the proper running of Izanami's department of angels."</p>
<p>Purrcy inclined her head. "Thank you, Priestess Meghan. I will rely on you, then."</p>
<p>Meghan bowed her head low before Purrcy. Purrcy leaned forward and kissed the top of her head lightly, changing her status to correctly reflect her position under Izanami. As Meghan rose again to look at Purrcy with the same fire of devotion she'd already shown, Purrcy was suddenly filled with a strength that washed over her. "Thank you," she said with sober gratitude.</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>The audience chamber of the Temple of Time was formally decorated with flowers and green plants set around the wall and curling up the six massive pillars that held up the tall roof. The formal audience with the council of gods and their retinues was even more grand than the formal announcement to the temple staff had been.</p>
<p>It was odd to Purrcy, that they had to be in such a large area set so high over everyone else to speak with them. It made sense if people were just going to come look at them be on display, but for talking to people it really didn't.</p>
<p>She'd decreased the steps by a third for the staff meeting. For this one, she was already tempted to decrease it by at least a quarter. She was working hard to be good and wait and see why Nyanta thought leaving it as it was would be preferable.</p>
<p>"I mean, <em>we</em> have to walk <em>up</em> all those steps to begin with," she muttered under her breath. It suddenly hit her, though, that it was likely that Li Shou had floated up there on a cloud.</p>
<p>She sighed and sent one of her aspects out to watch Ceridwen cast the cloud spell, practicing just a little time walking as she did it, since Ceridwen was already inside the temple, having come early. Nyanta had taught Purrcy enough now that she didn't get lost just going that short a distance through space and time, and she had all the other aspects of her anchoring her in her own linear time.</p>
<p>She figured she'd better be able to do at least the cloud spell since all the rest of the higher denizens of the city could. To not be able to perform a cantrip would drop her status pretty fast.</p>
<p>"Purrcy." Purrcy turned her ear. "Come back," Nyanta called her. She was back in her body.</p>
<p>"What?"</p>
<p>"Why did you go?"</p>
<p>"To learn how to cast the cloud spell. I've rather neglected getting up to the level of the rest like I should have, being so busy getting things learned about the temple itself."</p>
<p>Nyanta tipped his head at her, not able to argue against it, but clearly not pleased either. Purrcy was immediately impatient with him. Her spine stiffened and she inclined her head stiffly. "My apologies," she said coolly.</p>
<p>His eyes narrowed slightly and the tip of his tail flicked. She stood regally, in full restraint - the Queen waiting to be told her subjects were ready for her entrance.</p>
<p>Nyanta opened his mouth, but before he could say whatever it was, the coronets trumpeted, announcing their entrance into the audience hall. He turned back and stood in his relaxed upright gentleman's pose and offered her his arm. She lightly put her hand on top of his arm. He gave another flick of his tail, then suppressed his emotions as the doors before them were opened by the two guards standing on them.</p>
<p>They were dressed formally, in their High Priest and High Priestess robes, including the formal hats. She walked properly, holding her ears upright and her tail at attention, but also relaxed with a bit of a curl - just the right amount to be both formal and comfortable with being completely in control.</p>
<p>She didn't expect anyone to be rude enough to attack them on this first meeting in their own home, but she still locked everyone down anyway. It was just better to not let anything happen to begin with. They walked calmly down the aisle until they reached the foot of the stairs. Nyanta paused ever so slightly and she made him stop as she looked up at the thrones high above them.</p>
<p>With one of her own minor spells, she made all of the stairs save one disappear, then moved to step up on the platform, almost having to drag Nyanta with her in his surprise.</p>
<p>When they were seated, she put the stairs back, but only to three-quarters. She didn't need anyone shouting and she didn't need to get the nose-bleed from being too high up in the stratosphere. If he was going to scold her for trying to be similar to everyone else, then they may as well get a taste of what she <em>could</em> do.</p>
<p>They'd been announced as they'd walked to the dais, although she'd ignored it this time for the most part since it was the same as before. "Their Excellencies High Priest of Inari-no-Izanagi, <em>blah, blah, blah</em>, Nyanta, and High Priestess of Inari-no-Izanami, <em>blah, blah, blah</em>, Purrcy."</p>
<p>She'd been a bit surprised at Nyanta's other high titles the first time and he'd had to explain them after the fact. Once she had the data in her head, and had been properly impressed to his face because that much mattered, it was just stickers to her, like her own.</p>
<p>She looked out over the audience. Everyone was coming up from a bow, although the gods and goddesses had bowed only very slightly. Most of the following proceedings were handled by Marco, who was used as the herald. Meghan stood opposite him on Purrcy's side of the front of the steps, half way down the stairs.</p>
<p>Purrcy had made sure to put them at the proper location as she moved the stairs around, and carefully so they weren't suddenly dropped or tossed into the air without footing. It had been a little easier to make the step they were on slightly deeper. They seemed to have survived the surprising change to the scheduled plan.</p>
<p>When asked, Purrcy had only had one "decree" to issue, and Marco was saying that now that he was done with all the formal introduction part. She'd told him that the name of the temple was to be changed to the Temple of Creation, since Inari was the dual creation god, and Time was now a part of the creation of Theldesia, not its own free-form part.</p>
<p>When the decree was completed, she closed her eyes, drew in a breath, and cast the spell she'd been working on in her spare time for the last couple of days. It settled over the entire temple and there was a shifting in the visual range for it until the spell was completed.</p>
<p>From the outside - and slightly in the interior to match it - the Temple of Creation was now Japanese in form rather than Chinese, though the two were similar enough it had only been a minor modification, really. Trying to turn it into anything else would have been rather dramatic a change.</p>
<p>It wasn't likely that anyone outside the temple had even noticed, unless they were looking at it directly at the time, but anyone who stopped to look at it closely would notice there were differences.</p>
<p>She'd needed to change the descriptor text on the building anyway, so changing the way it looked had been a rather natural addition to it. Only other Adventurers would know, but it was part of the minor detail cleaning-up requirements she had to take care of. At the formal announcement of the change of name had seemed like a good time to get it done.</p>
<p>Timberel, standing just behind her and to the outside of the thrones, cast a healing spell on her, but it wasn't very big since he was still working on learning them. It was sufficient enough, however, for the three spells combined.</p>
<p>Once the official business of the Temple of Creation was completed, then it was time for introductions the other way. Each deity stood forward with those of their temple they wished for Nyanta and Purrcy to recognize and were formally introduced by their own heralds.</p>
<p>The Egyptian cats were first. Ra, the sun god, followed by Bastet, the overseer of the underworld and one of the fertility goddesses, and then Mut, another one. They were some of the oldest, and thus highest level, and were also announced as TechnoMagus. Purrcy tipped her head at each of them respectfully. Several other minor African cat deities were introduced as well.</p>
<p>The European ones were next, starting with the Greek goddess Hecate, who was human in form rather than felinoid, but Nyanta had already told Purrcy she could transform into a cat when she chose to. She was followed by Libertas, also of the same form. They were followed by Freyja, who was attended by her two large grey cats. Purrcy and Nyanta both inclined their heads to Ceridwen who had with her the two white cats who were among her attendants.</p>
<p>Then Ovinnik, a felinoid as black as night ink, was introduced. Purrcy knew Nyanta wasn't fond of the god, who was portrayed in Polish mythology as a matted, scruffy and somewhat evil creature. Gryla, an Icelandic troll goddess was next, also attended by a large cat. Purrcy was intrigued to meet Saint Gertrude of Nivelles, not a goddess in her own right, but a Saint was rather close.</p>
<p>When Nyanta had first told Purrcy about Saint Gertrude, she'd had to agree that the patron saint of cats wouldn't be left out by Li Shou. Any fodder for flavor text seemed to be somehow programmed into the game anyway. Over the time it had been in creation and upgrades, they'd needed to draw in some rather esoteric data to have new quests for the gamers to have fun with. Even the minor cat deities of Africa showed how far the programmers had gone to scrape the barrel as it were.</p>
<p>The only other Asian god stepped out. It was a very fat cat, Maneki Neko, titled the Beckoning and the Lucky. He didn't look too happy to have to face them. Now that Li Shou was gone, it was only the three of them to represent Asia.</p>
<p>Nyanta had told Purrcy that each region had voting power in the council and only because there had been three to balance each other had the power in the Asian block been a neutral and reasonable party. Now that the two of them were likely balanced against Maneki Neko, he likely felt very outnumbered. Until they actually had some voting, though, Purrcy couldn't say one way or the other how things would fall.</p>
<p>The South American block was also a set of three. Night Sun was the Mayan Jaguar god of Terrestrial Fire. He was yet another cat god of the underworld, although he also had a title relating him to the sun and another to war. Besides him, there was also Ccoa of Peru who seemed to be a minor kami in comparison to the others, and Ix Chel, a Mayan Jaguar goddess of midwifery and war, who seemed to have some spousal relationship to Night Sun.</p>
<p>Nyanta had tried to briefly explain the rules of the Court of Gods to Purrcy but she still didn't have it down yet. Watching it would teach her best. Sometimes the larger Europe faction couldn't agree, so split and voted two votes. She couldn't quite grasp how that could be allowed, but she supposed it worked if the council worked at all.</p>
<p>The one thing she could grasp very well was that none (or at least nearly none) could be trusted, and some not at all. She hoped she got to sit out the council meetings. Nyanta could do that part, as far as she was concerned. He <em>was</em> the Adventurer's Ambassador, after all.</p>
<p>The deans of the five universities were introduced last. They could advise the council, and cast a vote if the issue directly affected the universities. Purrcy paid more interest in these personages than in the deities, quickly memorizing which ones she wanted to meet with early.</p>
<p>She expected she would have one aspect devoted to learning that would spend time at all five universities since they each specialized slightly differently. That just meant that each of them had something she needed or wanted to learn.</p>
<p>Once everyone was introduced it seemed it was meeting time generally, since Marco opened up the floor. Purrcy watched, trying to understand the council, as a seemingly random god moved to speak first. "Now that we are brought into linear time, will we all age and pass away?"</p>
<p>That was an important first question to these people, Purrcy was sure. "Not necessarily. You may if you wish to, however. I believe it has to do with how many followers you maintain, or care to maintain. If you're tired and done with living, your story will still remain for others to find later, and you may even been called back if in some age enough people decide to renew their worship.</p>
<p>"The basic law is that as long as you're willing to work at maintaining a living presence on the land of the base realm of Theldesia, you will live. From what I understand all of you already have departments that handle proselytizing, so it will only depend on your personal preference."</p>
<p>She paused and blinked, but the deities seemed to be relieved to hear it, "Your followers here in the Gate of Time will age and die, however." There were unhappy faces at that proclamation. They didn't all live forever either anyway, but there was a strange and convoluted long life span for them in the unbounded Gate of Time.</p>
<p>She hadn't understood that description either and Nyanta had assured her that if it even mattered any more she would get that lesson along with her others at the university after this meeting was over. She intended to begin those lessons immediately the next day.</p>
<p>"Any creature tied to you through the flavor text will stay living as well," she added for the benefit of the three goddesses who had cat familiars. They were relieved by that as well.</p>
<p>Ccoa was next to stand forward. He crossed his arms and asked with some belligerence, "What are you going to do about the South Amerkan population that is too small for proper worshipers?"</p>
<p>"What too small?" Purrcy asked back. "Adventurers don't worship deities, except the few who take on priest roles or quests. They set up South Amerka to be a multi-zone type area since they could play with all the regions of the continent. Every area has its own proper People of the Land villages and populations that have been left alone by the Overwritten.</p>
<p>"We'll be sending a squadron of Adventurers down to make sure the Adventurers that have been removed from the resurrection cycle are returned to it so they can protect the People of the Land again, but they aren't in much danger. You know full well our other quests include decreasing the Overwritten that do exist, and in decreasing the flawed material making the numbers of demihumans too high."</p>
<p>"Yes, I do, but it's the demihuman population that has been set to worship me," Ccoa explained. Somehow it seemed more a complaint.</p>
<p>Purrcy nodded. "We'll keep that in mind. Feel free to strengthen your favorites or a few of their favorite villages and the Adventurers will keep them around to be interesting battle zones. The rest will be purified so that the People of the Land worshipers can increase in numbers.</p>
<p>"Feel free to recruit worshipers from the People of the Land, too. Work out a balance with the other deities from your region if you think it needs to be more detailed than that. But if the religious wars get out of hand, I'll step in." She flicked an ear. "That's world-wide, by the way." She waited expectantly for the next question.</p>
<p>There was a bit of stirring and muttering at that. Ceridwen stepped forward and politely asked, "High Priestess Purrcy, could you explain where your authority comes from, like for instance, to be able to step in and do such a thing?"</p>
<p>"Certainly. Inari has made me to be the Caretaker. That means that if there becomes an imbalance in the world that will cause it to shift too far into the possibility of full destruction, I'm empowered to step in and rebalance the world. It works on regional levels as well, since they're not interested in having regions become waste zones if they've been purposely populated."</p>
<p>Ceridwen thanked her and stepped back into place. It looked like it might take a while for everyone to believe Purrcy could be trusted in that position. They would learn it eventually.</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>Nyanta sighed in relief that Purrcy had finally stated clearly why she was equal to the rest of the deities in the room. Really, everyone knew they were lesser than the AIs. They didn't want to know that Purrcy was Inari, they wanted to know what Ceridwen had just asked for: what realm of power had Inari given her that made her equal to the rest of them?</p>
<p>Purrcy's position was really equal to Li Shou's, which was just slightly higher than the rest. Just like Li Shou could control Time, Purrcy as Caretaker could affect the rest whether they would or no. Probably only Nyanta knew and trusted at the moment that Purrcy wouldn't abuse that power she held over the rest of them. They would learn it eventually.</p>
<p>As the meeting continued, he was pleased that Purrcy continued to answer them appropriately and properly to her station. He wished he could be sure that it was just her being the natural Purrcy, but given the little exchange between them just before walking into the room, he wasn't sure.</p>
<p>Nyanta wasn't sure he was only himself either. He could feel that the Inari were interested in this meeting and paying attention. He wondered if he'd said something and didn't know it, or if Izanagi had been the actor at the moment to make Purrcy change in demeanor like that.</p>
<p>That was the hard part about being in their positions. He just couldn't know all the time which it was. If it wasn't Izanagi, then she was mad at him.</p>
<p>He sighed to himself. He didn't really want that right now. He was already going to lose her attention after this meeting, save for when he demanded it. He wished he knew how to get it without forcing it out of the Inari - which was near impossible most of the time.</p>
<p>He'd been hoping for at least one last calm and quiet night of togetherness. If he'd made Purrcy mad, that would be a more difficult prospect. He had to let his ears turn to let out his emotions, but he kept it to a listening turn instead of the twisting fall backwards it wanted to be.</p>
<p>The meeting finally ended and they were released to leave so the rest of the people in the room could leave. "I didn't notice any attacks," Nyanta murmured conversationally to Purrcy.</p>
<p>"Neither did I," she murmured back. "I had them locked down anyway, feeling it prudent."</p>
<p>"And still?" he asked quietly.</p>
<p>"Of course. Effective until they're out of the square out front."</p>
<p>"Very good," he gave a satisfied nod. "Mew handled them very well."</p>
<p>Purrcy didn't answer for a bit, then murmured demurely, "Thank you." She dipped in a slight curtsy in the middle of their walk. They'd just passed through the door and had it close behind them. Nyanta's heart clenched slightly. She was still not calm just yet.</p>
<p>They went straight to their rooms, as she'd been away from the kittens as long as she could be, for the most part. They could open their eyes now, but they couldn't focus very far away just yet. Purrcy walked into the middle of the futon, paced a circle and lay down.</p>
<p>The kittens, who'd been watched over by nurses, moved directly for her. They recognized her scent and at least the shadowy black figure with golden patches by now. Nyanta excused the nurses and waited until they were gone. Then he went to cat as well and somewhat cautiously moved towards Purrcy.</p>
<p>She was still cool, not looking at him, and the tip of her tail lifted and fell in taut rhythm. He bowed his head low and sniffed at her neck without getting too close. "I'm sorry if I've offended mew," he said quietly.</p>
<p>She didn't relent, but she also didn't swat at him for getting close enough to actually lightly touch the fur on her neck. He paused, then rubbed his head on the back of her head. "Did I say something I don't remember, nyan?" He was careful in even asking the question, since he could get in trouble with Izanagi for asking it, not just with her.</p>
<p>"It wasn't necessary to scold me back into being present in the room. A simple kind reminder would have been sufficient," Purrcy finally said, her tone still cool. "There are still things you haven't allowed me time to learn in this place, and there are things I'm still trying to understand all on my own."</p>
<p>Nyanta froze just a bit, then sighed. He sat down on his haunches and his whiskers drooped. "I'm sorry it is difficult still - to be placed in the eyes of everyone and not have sufficient knowledge yet." Her head turned farther away from him and her tail thumped the bed just a little harder.</p>
<p>His head dropped and quietly he said, "Please forgive my selfishness, to want to have my wife on this last day that I can, and until this time."</p>
<p>They stayed in those positions until Purrcy's anger had passed sufficient that Nyanta could move to settle down next to her. He purred at her then, a silent purr she could feel, until she relented enough to let him groom her lightly - enough to lull her into sleeping a light cat nap.</p>
<p>Only then could he really relax. He lay his head on her shoulders and purred himself into the same state. He would miss the mid-day family times.</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>Naotsugu patted MeowLi on the shoulder as they returned from Shiroe's office to the atrium sitting area. "You did well to hold up under that. Shiroe doesn't have to be so firm and dramatic, but it's rather become habit.</p>
<p>"If you want to go looking, over there's the kitchen. I'll have Akatsuki fetch you, but she gets here fast down that tree. Should never have tried to do the Cat a favor. Shrimp uses it more and gets to me faster when I'd rather she didn't."</p>
<p>He didn't expound, but did say to the air, "Akatsuki, MeowLi's up. Could you give her the tour? ...Yup. Got the full warning, too, so it's all good." He gave MeowLi a thumb's up and suddenly Akatsuki, dressed in black pants and a black shirt, with a short sword at her back, was landing on the floor next to the tree.</p>
<p>She stood up and looked at MeowLi. Her dark eyes were deep and her face rather passive, or perhaps...pensive? MeowLi was drawn to her, not quite knowing why.</p>
<p>When they were face to face, MeowLi bowed. The look in Akatsuki's eyes was questioning, but it went from a <em>Why did you do that?</em> to an <em>Are you feeling okay now?</em> "Yes, thank you," MeowLi answered. Akatsuki's eyes went wide and then grateful. MeowLi smiled. "Hahaue told me how to listen to you."</p>
<p>At the next look in Akatsuki's eyes, MeowLi did what she'd been wanting to do this whole time. She wrapped her arms around Akatsuki in a hug. "Thank you for taking care of Hahaue and Chichiue for us."</p>
<p>The stiff Akatsuki suddenly relaxed, then reached up and patted MeowLi on the head. "No... thank you... for taking care of them... for us." There was a longer expectant pause, then, "- and they will be home soon." Akatsuki's fist clenched. MeowLi understood. It was hard for her, and perhaps all of them, as well. She added a brief gentle squeeze, then let Akatsuki go.</p>
<p>"Why is there even a tree growing in the middle of the house?" she asked her question.</p>
<p>Akatsuki gave her a bright impish smile and then asked, "Can you climb?" MeowLi nodded and Akatsuki was up the tree three floors. "Come on."</p>
<p>MeowLi took a breath, moved back, transformed, and ran at the tree. She was glad there were branches on the way up. At the top floor, Akatsuki stopped her with a hand held out from where she was sitting on a branch.</p>
<p>She pointed at a latched trap door. MeowLi nodded and watched as Akatsuki undid the latch. "Open when we're on top. Close and lock when you come back in." Her eyes were sober. "Every time."</p>
<p>"Okay," MeowLi promised. The door swung open and Akatsuki was up on the roof above waiting for her. MeowLi climbed the last bit to stand with her. Akatsuki let her look around briefly to see more plants on the roof and chairs and a small grill, but before she could see any more than that, Akatsuki was up in the tree, beckoning.</p>
<p>MeowLi had to study it just a bit to understand how to run up it with the boards in the way, then she was up in the tree. Akatsuki urged her to go higher so she went up until she wasn't comfortable with the height and sizes of branches any more and stopped.</p>
<p>Akatsuki stopped next to her and pointed to the branch on the opposite side of the tree. "That branch. Your mother stopped there. I was the first to meet her to see why."</p>
<p>"Did she land there?"</p>
<p>"No. Ran. From down there." Akatsuki pointed to the ground outside the building.</p>
<p>MeowLi looked down. That was a long way down, even longer than any tree they'd climbed in the Gate of Time. "From - <em>outside</em> the building?"</p>
<p>"Yes. She surprised us coming over the edge. Pervert almost got run over and was very surprised. ...It was funny." Akatsuki's head tipped and she smiled, then she looked down again. "The wolf-fangs chased her here and we had to fight them off."</p>
<p>MeowLi silently pondered that statement as she looked around at the ground and the area of the roof. Akatsuki silently let her until she was mostly content, then put her hand on MeowLi's shoulder. MeowLi looked at her and she pointed farther out. "That's why."</p>
<p>MeowLi looked and her eyes were captured by the most amazing scene she'd seen. Buildings so tall even the spires of the Gate of Time looked dwarf, and so broad the whole Temple Square would almost have fit in them. And so many of them...</p>
<p>And only a few not falling down, or with parts crumbled, and a large number of them with trees growing through them or near them to push them down. ...And eventually, one very, very large one with branches that spread out to be the size of the entire Gate of Time almost and the top of it went up farther still.</p>
<p>MeowLi's mouth opened and she had to stare. Beyond that was a very tall wall, but that was background. "Silver Maple. Everything is ancient, even the trees. But it's home." It was said warmly and like it was missed at the same time. As if Akatsuki was missing the city when it hadn't been ancient, but new and alive. From MeowLi's parent's stories, she was.</p>
<p>"D-did my mother ever climb that one? It's so...big."</p>
<p>"No. That one." MeowLi quickly turned her head and Akatsuki was pointing the opposite direction. MeowLi walked down the branch a bit to see around the trunk of the tree and stared again. She could only see the top portion of that tree from here. It was closer and tall buildings at odd angles were in front of it, but it was almost as big as the other one and spread out wide branches as well.</p>
<p>"That is Nyanta-san and Purrcy's tree. Shiroe is going to buy it for them. That is where they confessed their love, and healed, and where Nyanta-san hid when it became too difficult. Hahaue loves that tree...and we love her in it." Bright dark eyes looked at MeowLi. "We get to watch her fly from there, and we love to fly."</p>
<p>"You fly?" MeowLi asked, wanting to look at the tree but it was impolite since she'd asked a question.</p>
<p>A small smile that said MeowLi wouldn't understand just yet. "Yes, but not the same. No wings necessary. Assassin-Tracker skills."</p>
<p>MeowLi wiggled in delight and Akatsuki's eyes laughed at her. "I'm sorry. I must admit my parent's stories and teachings about the Adventurers were always my favorite ones. To see and know one who has the skills they taught me about, rather than imagine one...," she blushed.</p>
<p>"Want to? See, that is?" Akatsuki grinned as MeowLi's body completely did want to. "Watch and listen." MeowLi focused down hard. She wanted to hear and see it all with all her cat senses.</p>
<p>She was delighted as Akatsuki named each skill then performed it, dancing around the branches of the tree, then down the trunk and around the roof and back up, flying lightly on the air as if she were the fabled fairy until she returned. "Those were Tracker, Assassin, and my first fifteen Mysteries. I have too many now to show you unless we have several hours."</p>
<p>"How many now?" MeowLi asked quickly.</p>
<p>"Just to ninety-one this past week," Akatsuki said proudly.</p>
<p>"Wow. They said you were working hard. Will you be able to show them one hundred when they return?"</p>
<p>Akatsuki went sober and gave a firm nod. "That is my goal. To show them what I can do."</p>
<p>MeowLi purred. "They will be so happy."</p>
<p>Akatsuki looked at her for a second, then put her hand on MeowLi's head. Her body said she was very old and feeling it. Then she pet MeowLi gently and MeowLi could tell she was saying many things, but it helped both of them relax a little.</p>
<p>MeowLi rubbed against Akatsuki a little as she purred to say that it was okay. They'd both make it, particularly if they could do it together. Akatsuki patted her, in agreement.</p>
<p>They sat in the tree looking out for a long time, MeowLi listening to new sounds and smelling the new smells of a different city. Before they went down, MeowLi looked back at the tree said to belong to her parents. She could see them there, lounging and enjoying the peace and the company of the other.</p>
<p>"You can go."</p>
<p>She looked down at Akatsuki already on the roof top. MeowLi waited until she was down next to her to look at her questioningly. "When you feel safe, you can go. It's not where it's dangerous. There are some people on the way, but only for a little.</p>
<p>"Don't climb it if you can't yet, but it's beautiful there. We go...sometimes." MeowLi understood. When they were missing Hahaue and Chichiue too much, they would go to be close to them. "Perv - Naotsugu can take you, or Tetorō. He goes a lot."</p>
<p>"Thank you," MeowLi said. Akatsuki put her fingers into MeowLi's fur, since she'd gone big enough to get up the tree, and walked with her to show her all the things on the roof. That was a strange feeling for a little while, but then she got used to it enough to not want to twitch.</p>
<p>Here not far from the main door was where everyone sat. There were enough chairs for her, too. The grill wasn't very far for night dinners if they felt like it. Bushes surrounded it on two sides to give it privacy.</p>
<p>They walked to the wall that looked towards the city, then around to the right and Akatsuki pointed to the building right next to them. "Crescent Moon League guild, Marie's. The wolf-fang assassins came from there before then, when it was empty."</p>
<p>Akatsuki turned towards their roof. "I was there, waiting," she pointed to the top of the small building that the door went into. "Nyanta-san was inside at the door, waiting.</p>
<p>"As soon as they crossed we attacked. Purrcy went from the branch," it was pointed out again from this vantage point, "down the far side and into the house through the patio door. She hid in the fourth floor closet - a lot, later, but that was the first time. We were glad she was safe while we took care of it. She was so sad and scared. We were worried."</p>
<p>There was a pause in the story, then Akatsuki turned back to the other building. "Because they could come across, Shiroe worried even more. So he figured out how to fill it with friends to protect us. Naotsugu and Marielle already loved each other, so he negotiated their wedding. They came here because of that negotiation."</p>
<p>MeowLi thought that was rather impressive and a testament to Shiroe's negotiation skills if he could bring an entire house and not just one person to move. "Marie is the guildmistress, so Naotsugu sleeps there at night and works here in the day." Even still. They hadn't had to come for that.</p>
<p>"They're in charge of the Academy. That was the agreement." That was it. The more to the story. "That's that way," Akatsuki turned around again and pointed the opposite direction. "So that Shiroe can protect us even more. All of this area is being purchased for the Academy or Shiroe so that we can't be forced to leave it."</p>
<p>MeowLi pushed on Akatsuki and rubbed her to say that was enough. She wouldn't hold any more lesson right now. Akatsuki looked at her and MeowLi blinked and tilted her head with her ear held out and crossed her eyes.</p>
<p>Akatsuki smiled slowly. "Leaking?" MeowLi nodded. Akatsuki patted her head. "Okay. Let's go inside. That much you can hold." MeowLi agreed.</p>
<p>Akatsuki held her fur again as they walked. This time she took MeowLi back in through the door in the little building. It was a simple stairwell and nothing more at this level. When they reached the top floor, Akatsuki reappeared at the top of the trunk and closed the trap door and latched it. Then she reappeared on the floor.</p>
<p>"Eagles nest." That didn't mean anything at the moment.</p>
<p>Akatsuki took her to the far side and opened a door. "That patio." MeowLi looked through the door to see a sliding glass door that led to a small balcony. She nodded, sniffing the smells that were growing old, but not dead yet. Those smells mixed with other similar smells in this level. Others had once lived and slept on this floor, but not now.</p>
<p>"Eagles?" she asked. Akatsuki was silent and her lips pressed ever so slightly together. She wasn't ready to tell the story. "Later is okay," MeowLi said.</p>
<p>Akatsuki gave a small, firm nod. A promise to tell it later when it was easier to say. They walked down a floor. "Also. Eagles nest." They kept walking to the next floor. "Also, but the boarders are here now. The closet is there." They were walking for it.</p>
<p>Akatsuki opened it politely and MeowLi explored it slightly. It was dark and only cat eyes could probably see in that room. The smell of her parents was in it, but ever so faintly. They hadn't been there for a long time.</p>
<p>Tetorō's smell was there, too, so he'd been there as well, and MeowLi wondered why, but decided not to ask that one. It would probably get the same answer the last one had, and that was okay.</p>
<p>They walked back to the stairwell and down one more floor. "Whose room where?" Akatsuki gave MeowLi a test.</p>
<p>MeowLi sniffed and walked around the square around the tree trunk. "This one. Tetorō's, but," she looked back one room. "He uses that one, too. Someone else did...an Eagle he knew well?" MeowLi wondered if it might have been a girlfriend or something.</p>
<p>Akatsuki looked down at her feet. "His partner. The Hacker General, and Purrcy's guard. The sub-guildmaster."</p>
<p>MeowLi sat down in surprise. "Who?" She was sorry she'd asked it. Akatsuki was looking at her with such surprised sorrow.</p>
<p>Akatsuki sank to her knees and reached out a hand, imploring. MeowLi moved close to sit in front of her and the hand dropped to Akatsuki's knee. "She talked about the rest of us, but not the Eagles? ...Not even Michael-san?"</p>
<p>"No. ...I'm sorry."</p>
<p>Akatsuki couldn't understand it, but if it was truth it was truth. Finally she said, quietly, "Tell Shiroe, in private. Never tell Tetorō. It will hurt. Maybe Shiroe knows why." MeowLi gave a nod of promise.</p>
<p>It made her itch to know more and to know why. But then she'd wondered why her parents had talked of this home and the people in it but never called them their children and why her mother had only just told her today about the children on Earth.</p>
<p>It wasn't like they wouldn't have understood. It was confusing. Maybe Shiroe would know that, too. As he'd said himself, he knew everything.</p>
<p>They walked down to the next floor, the second one, and it was busy with alive smells. "Naotsugu, Rudy, Touya, Minori, Isuzu, mine." They filled up the whole floor. No wonder Tetorō was upstairs. That felt really lonely. She could see why her mother would tell her to sleep on her lonely nights with him. They would keep each other company. That brought up..., "Where for me?"</p>
<p>Akatsuki looked thoughtful for a second. "Minori. She'll tell you. That's her job," was the definitive answer. MeowLi would have to wait, then.</p>
<p>Akatsuki walked her over to the opening around the tree that looked down to the main floor. "Here, we jump ...you and me," the further explanation was tacked on. MeowLi couldn't see Minori jumping from here so rather understood the necessity of it.</p>
<p>She leaped to the trunk, then pushed off and landed on the main floor, following Akatsuki. "You do the main floor yet, Perv?"</p>
<p>"Nope. Thought you could handle that, too," was answered from the couch.</p>
<p>"Kay." Then Akatsuki hesitated. "Basement is storage and one more bath - one on each floor. Need to see?"</p>
<p>"I'll explore it later if I need something to do," MeowLi decided.</p>
<p>Akatsuki gave an "okay" nod, but continued to look at MeowLi, assessing something hard. "Soft sorrow or difficult sorrow last?"</p>
<p>MeowLi sat down, consternated, not really wanting either. She had to suppose...a house with memories would cause that. She sighed. "I suppose the kitchen is the soft sorrow?" A positive nod and sympathy. That could only mean...her heart clenched. "Hard last. I'll stay there and sleep some more."</p>
<p>"Rudy's coming," Naotsugu reminded her. Her ear twitched uncomfortably.</p>
<p>"Fine," Akatsuki said. "He can sit then help you leave it." That sounded okay and MeowLi gave a nod. Akatsuki pointed to Shiroe's office door. "Shiroe's room."</p>
<p>MeowLi gaped at her. "It's his <em>room</em>?"</p>
<p>"Yes, and office, and everything we don't do out here, like battle planning and secret guild meetings, and punishments." That was rather a lot. MeowLi blinked. Perhaps being able to not have to walk all over a large building was timesaving, but...</p>
<p>Akatsuki walked MeowLi to where Naotsugu had pointed earlier. MeowLi stepped lightly and cautiously. Akatsuki let her walk around herself, waiting at the door.</p>
<p>MeowLi transformed to felinoid to be tall enough to look around. The stoves were run by Summons, which seemed very odd, but the rest was fairly consistent. There were a few odd kitchen implements she didn't know the use of, but she supposed that shouldn't be surprising, and storage closets of food, but no ice box. She wondered how they managed that.</p>
<p>There was one box, with only a small door on it, standing in a corner. Perhaps that was it. Everything was "more"-ish than the number of people she'd met that morning. Had the kitchen been expanded when the Eagles were here? They did more than double the guild, based on numbers of rooms she'd seen, so it was likely.</p>
<p>When she turned back to Akatsuki, the small woman was looking at her hopefully. It took a moment to understand it, but when she did MeowLi had to shake her head at the look. "He won't let me. The punishment is until he comes back."</p>
<p>Akatsuki slumped. "Ah, that's just for the curry. I can make anything else." That seemed to help a little. They really did love the curry. It was amazing that it was such an effective punishment.</p>
<p>As they reached the door again, MeowLi's eyes were caught by the door opposite them and she stopped walking, staring at it. The door to her parent's room. She trembled just a little, then said. "Let's stop here. I'll go there when I have the strength for that memory, or when I really need it."</p>
<p>Akatsuki looked at her soberly, then nodded. "It will be for all of you when you come until you're all ready to be in your own places."</p>
<p>"It's big enough?" MeowLi asked.</p>
<p>"Like Shiroe's. Less long. Tatami mat floor like mine." MeowLi nodded. Her father and his love for the traditional tatami flooring.</p>
<p>"Do you need the purification?" Naotsugu asked from his post. He was looking at her with a knowing look. He'd changed the topic on purpose for her. Akatsuki looked at her, confused.</p>
<p>"I...don't know," MeowLi answered.</p>
<p>"Were you initiated in the temple?" he clarified.</p>
<p>"Yes. All of us were, though only to the second level. Hahaue and Chichiue don't want us to be abused - that's their word - by Inari."</p>
<p>Akatsuki lit up. "Me, too: shrine maiden, but to Shiroe's kami."</p>
<p>"Shiroe's kami?" They both got wary.</p>
<p>"Long story for later," Naotsugu said dismissively. "The point is, because we've got a Priest and two shrine maidens and a deacon in the house, we've got a mini shrine out back. Go show her that and teach her the purifications. She might need to know."</p>
<p>Akatsuki gave a nod and took MeowLi's hand. MeowLi let Akatsuki lead her past her parent's room and down the hall the bathroom had been in. At the end of the hall was a door. Akatsuki opened it and they went through.</p>
<p>They entered a small traditional garden area enclosed by a tall fence. There was a passageway in front of them. Right near them was a bubbling fountain with a long handled cup hanging on the side of it. Akatsuki led her to that first.</p>
<p>"Cup your hands." She did. "Rub to wash." Akatsuki poured water over her hands. "Cup again." She did. "Sip, rinse, spit on the ground." MeowLi did her best to and Akatsuki gave a nod of acceptance. "You can let the rest go on the ground."</p>
<p>She put the cup away as MeowLi let the rest of the water go. She was suddenly thirsty enough to drink it though. It had been cool and sweet.</p>
<p>Akatsuki looked her up and down. "Other than tail, you could wear mine." She considered it longer, then looked far away. "Calasin. You owe Purrcy favors for clothes still? Need one for a stray she brought to our place. My size, about another hand taller. She's grey so something to match." Akatsuki looked back at MeowLi. "Do you like no colors or colors?"</p>
<p>MeowLi considered it. It was temporary until tomorrow anyway, although it would be hers she supposed. "Yellow?"</p>
<p>"With grey? ...Oh, okay. Umm...," then back to MeowLi, "Dress? Pants? Skirt and blouse?"</p>
<p>"Too many choices. Keep it dress until tomorrow."</p>
<p>Akatsuki paused, then said, "Do you have any copies of the summer yellow and white that size? Perfect. Right now." A dress of happy bright yellow, like the sun, with spots of white appeared in Akatsuki's hands. "Ah, underthings." Those showed up, too.</p>
<p>Akatsuki's eyes went to MeowLi's feet. "Yes." A few more things showed up. "Thanks. Minori will bring her by tomorrow." Akatsuki turned towards the wall with entryways to their left. "Boys, girls," explained by a wave, and Akatsuki led her into the girls one.</p>
<p>There was a hot spring, right here. MeowLi was surprised. "Magic?"</p>
<p>"Yes. Here's soap and washcloth. I'll sit here while you wash and get clean in the spring. Then you soak until you can feel you're lighter but not going to get any lighter." Akatsuki knelt down with the things she was holding.</p>
<p>MeowLi stripped and picked up soap and washcloth. It wasn't easy to clean this way as a furry creature, but she managed to get everywhere she could reach as clean as possible. When she finally was relaxed enough to get out, Akatsuki was holding a towel for her. "Sorry. Next time we'll all go together and then we can help you."</p>
<p>"That would be nice," she said in relief. Akatsuki helped her get dressed in the new clothing, including new socks and a comfortable pair of shoes. She twirled in the dress, enjoying its flowy skirt. The white had turned out to be larger flowers on the yellow background of the dress. "It's pretty. Thank you."</p>
<p>"Looks good. I thought it would clash with the grey, but it doesn't." Akatsuki was very specific and careful. It sounded learned and like she was trying hard.</p>
<p>"Thank you," MeowLi respected that effort by repeating herself. "Ah...I have a problem now, though." Akatsuki waited patiently to hear it. "I'm very hungry and thirsty suddenly."</p>
<p>Akatsuki gave a nod. "We'll have to purify food for you then until you come down to this level. We know how to do that, too. ...But...why?"</p>
<p>"Archmage Shiroe says it's likely because the Gate of Time is always at the mi-li," she said the new word slowly to be sure she got it right, "level. We don't have the purification rituals there."</p>
<p>"Ouch." Akatsuki's eyes were large.</p>
<p>"Yes. It was ouch. I was passed out a long time, it felt like, but maybe not. He says we came only about an hour after she said it was done."</p>
<p>Akatsuki patted her shoulder and MeowLi collected her clothing from before. "We do our own wash." MeowLi froze and Akatsuki patted her again. "We'll teach you, or Minori and Touya might do it for you. It's one of their jobs."</p>
<p>"They do a lot," MeowLi said and wondered if maybe she should at least take on that task. It would be good to give something back and help bear some of the load. She could certainly help in the kitchen.</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>When MeowLi and Akatsuki arrived back at the central sitting area, Rudy had arrived. "She's hungry. Needs purified food." Akatsuki got blank looks back and she sighed and turned to MeowLi. "You're the only cook in the house right now. I can purify the ingredients, though."</p>
<p>"That will work," MeowLi sighed. "Can I drink from the fountain outside? That tasted good." Akatsuki brightened up and gave a nod. She trotted away, back the way they'd come.</p>
<p>"You look lovely in that dress, Miss MeowLi," Rudy said, giving her a bright smile. "Until you have a room assigned, I suppose you can leave your other clothes under the tree, or take it into the kitchen?"</p>
<p>MeowLi looked at the tree, then the kitchen, then glanced at her parent's room. That would be the most logical place to put it for now. She took a deep breath, marched over to it, opened the door and put her clothes down right inside the door.</p>
<p>She allowed herself a brief glance, but firmly closed the door. Rudy was already next to her to gallantly bow and offer her his arm. She gratefully took it, imitating her parents. "Thank you," she said to him quietly.</p>
<p>He smiled at her gently. "Of course. Leaving one's things out in public isn't really the best option, but when one has to face things that are difficult, having other options available helps us decide what we <em>can</em> do." That seemed sound advice and her ears agreed with him.</p>
<p>They arrived in the kitchen and he escorted her to a stool at a work table. "If you'll tell me what recipe you'd like to make, or at least the ingredients, I can get them out for you." He was already walking to the pantry.</p>
<p>MeowLi watched what he did carefully as she listed off the ingredients. Some ingredients he pulled out of baskets on the pantry shelves, but some he walked to the large box, opened the door, reached in, and pulled out exactly what she'd asked for. A few things they had to compromise on since the food products were slightly different between locations.</p>
<p>None of it looked appetizing, even though she knew it was the same foods she'd just asked for. He sat and looked at her with a smile. "Lady Akatsuki will fix that nauseating feeling in a bit...and here she is now."</p>
<p>MeowLi turned in surprise, not having heard anything, but then she remembered that was one of the Assassin's skills. Akatsuki put a tall cup of water in front of MeowLi and that did smell good. She caught it up and drank deeply, sighing in relief when she was done.</p>
<p>Akatsuki was already standing by the ingredients. She was sprinkling a little water over all of them as well. She clapped twice, bowed, clapped again, and said, "Please, make this offering of food to be at the second and proper level to feed those who serve the gods to give them the strength to carry out their duties." She bowed again, then clapped one more time.</p>
<p>In front of MeowLi's eyes, the food went from unappetizing through an odd change to suddenly being normal ingredients waiting for her to make her meal. "How does it do that?"</p>
<p>Akatsuki shrugged. "Game mechanics, flavor text, world rules. Irritating requirement that's at least easy to perform. You can do it yourself next time. It was just some water from the fountain. Only a small amount has to touch each item.</p>
<p>"If you can cook while it's base level, you can still purify it after and eat it at the upper level. We can't make food go up to the nano layer, though. This is as high as it goes down here."</p>
<p>"No, it's sufficient," MeowLi hurried to reassure her. "Thank you very much." She looked at the stove. "I don't know how to use that kind of stove, though."</p>
<p>"I'll help with that, Lady Akatsuki. You can get back to your duty," Rudy offered.</p>
<p>Akatsuki gave a nod, a pat to MeowLi, and disappeared. MeowLi wanted to apologize for pulling her away from her work, but it was too late already.</p>
<p>Rudy was setting a cutting board and knife in front of her. "Will you need bowls, measuring cups and spoons, or the like? I wash the dishes, Minori is head chef and Touya is sous chef, when they can be here. Tetorō helps with the rest of clean up while I wash and we all put away the clean ones when they're dried.</p>
<p>"There aren't so many of us that it's strenuous, except perhaps when we want a fancier meal and there's a lot of preparation to do. I am sorry I can't help with that part."</p>
<p>MeowLi shook her head. "That's fine. Having company is enough." She listed off the other tools she would need, then pulled over the first ingredient and started cutting. Rudy watched her as she cut. She knew she had a lot of questions, but she wasn't sure where to start.</p>
<p>She paused to look at him, wondering if he was going to move to get the tools. He pointed at the table. She stared. They were there, but she was sure he hadn't moved.</p>
<p>"It's one of the Adventurer's natural skills. We can get something from where it's located and put it wherever we want to put it without touching it. Typically it has to be owned by us personally or be something that's a group-owned item, like these all are. It's very convenient, if a way to learn to be lazy."</p>
<p>He tossed his long curly blonde hair out of his face and gave a bit of a haughty look at the last. That brought back an unwelcome memory so she turned away from him and began to cut the next thing, sliding the first into one of the mixing bowls to clean it off so she could.</p>
<p>"When they look like they're looking far away, and then start talking to air, what is that?" she finally found one of her questions. Her hunger was making it hard to focus on that sort of thing.</p>
<p>"That's called the 'chat function'. It's a way to talk to people you know and have befriended in a formal way. That also is a natural, if magical, skill of the Adventurers. It's bounded by region right now unless stronger magics are used." Those two explanations together explained what Akatsuki had been doing to get MeowLi's new clothes.</p>
<p>"Do they have a monetary system?"</p>
<p>"Yes, the same as all Theldesia - the gold system. They earn it when they hunt monsters so it's what they have to use."</p>
<p>"I assume merchanting is the same as anywhere."</p>
<p>"Yes. They understand barter, and are good negotiators generally, but the gold system is considered simpler, so prices are affixed to items like normal."</p>
<p><em>Hmm</em>. MeowLi added the current cut vegetable to her bowl and collected the meat to cut. Rudy was still watching her cut.</p>
<p>Most people might have thought he was just keeping her company and being attentive, but from her training she could tell it was more than that. He was actively testing what skills she had. She sighed. She supposed she should understand from the beginning that Shiroe was going to learn all kinds of things in all sorts of ways.</p>
<p>She focused on her meat cutting and adding it to the bowl as well, then set the cutting board to the side with the knife. She added the seasonings and stirred them together. "Okay, I'm ready to cook. A small pan would be sufficient."</p>
<p>This was one of the simple to cook and get right to eating recipes. She would like a sauce, but they took too long to cook and she was too hungry.</p>
<p>"That's not very much food for one hungry person," Rudy frowned at her.</p>
<p>"I'm too hungry," she admitted.</p>
<p>"I'll look at what leftovers we have that might go with that," he said helpfully. He walked with her over to the stove. It already had a pan on one of the burners. He showed her how to get the small FireSnail to wake up and how to help it know what temperature she wanted for the pan. Then he walked back to the box with only one small door in it and proceeded to study it.</p>
<p>She decided that must be the same sort of look for the "chat function". That had been Tetorō's look when he'd looked at her to see things about her, too. "What are you looking at?" she asked Rudy.</p>
<p>"The list of things in the fridge. Adventurers can see words and images in the air when they focus their intent, or desire, to see them. I'm wanting to see that list, so I do see the list. I can then scan the list up and down by the same kind of desire. When I see the thing that I want, or if I already know what I want, I put my hand through the door and desire it into my hand and it is."</p>
<p>"That's the strangest thing I've ever heard," she had to admit.</p>
<p>"Yes. Again, it's convenient, but very odd," he agreed with her. "I often have to suspend my disbelief to get it to work. It can make my head hurt sometimes, too." He turned and gave her a grin, then put his hand into the "fridge" and pulled out something. He closed the little door and brought it back.</p>
<p>"Here's some left over fruit salad. It should go well with the meat and vegetables. I noticed you didn't prepare a sauce. Touya and Minori already have several made up to just be added later. Is there one you would like to try?"</p>
<p>MeowLi paused. That was very tempting. "I wouldn't be taking any from future meals?"</p>
<p>"Nah. They made up a lot. One person's worth won't be that much." She twitched in excitement, but held it down to the single twitch. There were some her parents had talked about that they'd not been able replicate in the Gate of Time. She wondered if she'd ruin the meal not having an instructor, then she decided not. She'd been trained to add sauces after all.</p>
<p>She looked over at Rudy. "If I teach you to stir so it doesn't burn, I think I'll have enough time to purify the sauce and the fruit before I have to add the sauce. ...Would teriyaki be available?"</p>
<p>"Sure." A brown bottle appeared on the table next to the bowl of fruit and Rudy walked over to stand next to her. She carefully explained what she was doing and he carefully listened, like he'd at least watched this part of the process before. That was relieving.</p>
<p>When she was done, he cautiously took the stirring tool she'd chosen and took over, concentrating carefully. When it looked like he probably had it, she went to the table, dipped her fingers in her cup of water and sprinkled the bottle and the fruit in the bowl.</p>
<p>Concentrating, she clapped twice, bowed, almost missed the final clap, then tried to repeat the prayer. She bowed again and clapped once. She couldn't tell. "Did I do the prayer incorrectly?"</p>
<p>"I suspect you left out the intent. You also should intend the food to increase in purity for eating. You don't have to do the water part again."</p>
<p>She went back and added in her wish to be able to eat those things and did it again. That time it worked and she sighed in relief. Picking up the sauce, she returned to the stove.</p>
<p>"Thank you, Lord Rudy," she said, asking for the stirring tool back. He handed it back, but he was looking oddly at her. "Shouldn't I have?" she asked him. "I'm not sure of forms of address yet."</p>
<p>"I call most everyone that because I'm still a Person of the Land for all I'm also now an Adventurer and it's always been to me necessary to be properly polite. I'm not used to being given that title in this house, although Lady Purrcy would on occasion. I would think whatever makes you comfortable is fine, since that's how the Adventurers will see it. They all want to know that you're comfortable and enjoying yourself no matter who or what you're doing - as long as it's legal."</p>
<p>That made sense, the legal part. "What are the laws?" she asked. She was glad they were short and easy. Three was simple enough. She added the sauce, stirred just until it was warmed up enough for her tastes, then took the pan off the heat. Rudy turned off the snail for her, teaching her how.</p>
<p>She put the food on the plate that had appeared, then looked around for the rest of the things from the beginning, but they were already put away with the dirty tools in the sink. She took her pan and stirring tool to the sink and left them there for now. Washing could come later.</p>
<p>"If you want to eat there, I'll wash up for you," Rudy offered.</p>
<p>MeowLi's ears twitched uncomfortably. "Thank you, but I hate to make you do more work when it's just mine and I could do it."</p>
<p>"No, that's fine. It's a way to keep my hands busy while we talk and you eat," he shrugged it off. "We do this a lot, actually."</p>
<p>"Okay," she gave in and dug into her food. The sweet teriyaki was surprising, but after a few bites, she decided that it was very good and it was gone fairly quickly. Some of the fruits were different as well, but it was a good side. She washed it down with the water, then was sad she'd had so much early on.</p>
<p>"Do you want more water?" Rudy asked.</p>
<p>"I would, but it seems a bother," she answered.</p>
<p>Rudy shook his head and got that distant look. The cup disappeared, then reappeared, glistening with water, inside and out. "Sorry to get the whole thing wet. It's hard to get it placed just right sometimes, so I probably put it into the water itself."</p>
<p>"That's fine. As long as I didn't make you run all the way there and back," she said with a shy smile. Rudy waved a hand expansively back, but his eyes smiled.</p>
<p>She drank her water, then held onto the cup as her dishes suddenly disappeared. "I'll get those done and then we can go sit someplace more comfortable." She gave a nod and in a few quick minutes he had the dishes washed and set out to dry.</p>
<p>As they walked towards the kitchen door, Rudy asked, "Do you know where you'd like to go? There's back to the chairs in the main area, but we'll get commentary from Naotsugu, if you want that. We could go to the roof." He paused and looked at her with an unreadable look. "Did Lady Akatsuki take you to the third floor balcony?"</p>
<p>"No?" MeowLi answered. "Just the sixth floor one."</p>
<p>"Then if you'd like, we could go there, as a possibility."</p>
<p>MeowLi thought of her options, then said, "I guess the third floor balcony." It would be something new to see. "I might need to have another nap soon, though."</p>
<p>"I'm happy to be of service as long as you need me, Miss MeowLi. When you're ready for a rest, just let me know. It's no insult at all." He struck an odd pose and she turned away, almost wanting to laugh this time. He held out his elbow for her again and she took it - and her water cup.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Battle Against the Devourer</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Giant on the horizon," the point man called out. At the moment it was Ground Safety on the yellow-green dragon.</p>
<p>"How much do you see?"</p>
<p>"Just the head."</p>
<p>"Calculate speed and TOA."</p>
<p>There was a pause, then, "Standard speed, TOA: ...forty minutes."</p>
<p>"Go on up and retrieve."</p>
<p>The Eagles had reached one of the secondary Adventurer cities in the western part of Mexico. It had also been emptied of any people and was crushed, but it hadn't been obliterated. It was located at the point of the city of Alamos on Earth and had a sufficient wall around it to be containment of some kind. They knew it wouldn't be much, but it might be enough.</p>
<p>The other four dragons lifted up from the ground to meet the yellow-green. The five dragons headed south as Michael called the four that were pulling the monster. "You guys still alive?"</p>
<p>"Barely, but yes," came the tired answer. "We learned we could taper off the attacks and stop to get some rest. How far off are you?"</p>
<p>"Rescue is on the way. Five dragons led by Vesuvius. They're all partied. Let them catch you up. They'll bring you here so you can rest," Michael was sympathetic to their weariness.</p>
<p>MasterChiefS7 was doubtful. "Okay, but it may stop."</p>
<p>"We've got the bait to draw it. Don't draw it once you see them. They're all that remain of the entire dragon tribe of the west."</p>
<p>"...Only five?!" Clocktower was stunned. He'd had the most fun catching Vesuvius.</p>
<p>"And only because we summoned Vesuvius from death. We've promised we'll get more summoned back once we've solved our own problem. ...Thanks for your hard work." Michael got a grunt back, but it was enough.</p>
<p>The Eagles on the backs of the dragons had been building up multiple large purification mines that they would leave behind on the way out. They wanted to get the Devourer as small as possible before it entered the city. Just in case, they'd been dropping more of them all along the route of flight since they'd made their plans.</p>
<p>Michael had been working on a way to make the purification ritual into a trap and faster once it was entered. He'd pulled out five that could spirit heal, one for each dragon. They were already each on a dragon along with the one placing the mines.</p>
<p>The remaining ten were up on the city wall with Michael. Michael had already laid the structure of a net of purification and they were holding it in place, each party member an anchor point for the net. The southernmost points were left open, with the Eagle the net was tied to ready to run and finish encircling it once it had entered the city. Even one of the two feet of the monster inside the city walls would be enough this first time.</p>
<p>They didn't mind how long it was taking to arrive. The longer it went the more power the spell would have. Michael was careful to let it build up at a slow enough rate they wouldn't Cathedral on a rebound, though. It worked as a sum, and they were all high level, and there were only ten of them this time.</p>
<p>Next time it would be the other nine with Gareth. He was of sufficient skill and level in Spiritualist to learn the modification from Michael and have it work. Michael had been relieved since that meant he could make the spell more effective. Once they were done casting it, they might be able to climb on the backs of the dragons and hold on, but it wouldn't be much else for a while. It was dicey to push it that much, but as had been said...they had a lot of earth and monster to purify.</p>
<p>The five dragons passed overhead on the return flight and the one with only two passengers stayed high to watch the progress of the Devourer. The other four landed on the north side of the city walls for now. "It's slowed down...first impact." The retort was faint and delayed by the speed of sound. "It's not happy. Looks like it was a nice volume." The same happened several times over the next twelve minutes, then, "It's moving off course."</p>
<p>Michael called Brian out of his Spirit Ring. "Time to do your stuff," he said without bothering to go to the spirit realm. "Center of the city for as long as you can stay. Duck under the foot and come back to the ring. I'll be busy, but you should be able to get into it on your own." The little sprite that could be seen because of Michael's warning shields zipped to the center of the city. Brian was definitely courageous and determined, even when terrified.</p>
<p>"It's turned back...and picking up speed...oh, that slowed it down a little." Progress was made and as they hoped, it would take the punishment to reach its required goal. Most Overwritten were like that.</p>
<p>It was rather hard to tell that a sky-high monster had lost mass when it still had enough to look sky-high from the ground regardless. Having already forgotten just how big it was, it was difficult for the Eagles to stay still on the wall and let it get that close. They'd been trained to deal with that kind of fear though and still act, so they held their positions.</p>
<p>When the Devourer reached the city, it was the upper reaches that bent down and flowed into the center of the city to grasp the prize it was required to obtain. Brian dropped low enough to make it come into the city walls as much as possible. When he zipped away from Michael, instead of towards him, Michael had to give him bonus points - for being crazy.</p>
<p>Brian zipped around the city filling it up as much as possible while still trying to keep from getting caught. Michael could see he was getting boxed in, though, and the southern Eagles were in place. "Come." The spirit zipped away in a sudden change of direction and was flying for Michael. Michael raised his hands and cast the final part of his spell. It went off just as Brian reached him. "Enter," he said, but he was focused on holding the purification.</p>
<p>The amount of matter of the Devourer that was within the city walls was cut off the monster. A deep rumbling howl that was felt more than heard resounded in the air and the Devourer raised up away from the city. The dragons immediately leaped into the air and the Eagles on the backs of the dragons began a circling strafing run to keep its attention away from the city walls so those holding the net could complete the purification of the matter inside the city.</p>
<p>It took almost the full five minutes before Michael could call them back in to pick them up off the wall. The dragons went immediately to their preassigned pickups. The Eagles on the back of the dragon pulled each one on the wall up on the fly. Only then did the ones playing acolyte allow themselves to collapse.</p>
<p>Gareth held on tightly to Michael, casting spirit healing magic on him even as Michael passed out completely. Each healer on the back of a dragon was healing as they went, flying north. The last dragon turned back just long enough for an Eagle to get off one last purification missile to let the Devourer know which way to come if it still wanted to face them - or get its required prize.</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>Michael woke up on the ground in the next city north. It was a smaller city that hadn't really been an Adventurer one, but had been on the route between Alamos and Diego. The jump between the two Adventurer cities was too long, they decided, so they'd picked this one. All cities in this region were walled, though, so it would be good enough. This time their healers would be performing the ceremony, however, so it would take longer on the other end to recover.</p>
<p>Michael immediately called Brian back out and he zipped away into the middle of the city to wait. "Cheeky little bastard," MasterChiefS7 said from next to Michael. "Who is he?"</p>
<p>"Brian, the Programmer that followed Indicus to the other side of the moon."</p>
<p>MasterChiefS7 looked back at Michael. "The men are in place and holding. The Devourer stopped about a third of the way up and decided to go into a holding pattern." He looked at Michael silently for a moment, then asked, "What's nobody saying?"</p>
<p>"Nobody's sayin' it," Michael answered as he sat up, propping himself up on his hands. "Not until the operation's done. We got our butts whipped and no one wants to be in any more trouble just yet. Let it go and consider yourselves protected by your buddies until then. If anybody does slip up this operation's on hold until we correct it and that's at least a full day out of commission."</p>
<p>"There are a lot of unhappy men, Sir."</p>
<p>"Since when is butt whupping something to make people smile?" Michael answered caustically. "If they complain it will happen again, same as basic training, until everyone swallows the piss and lets it go."</p>
<p>"Even you're not happy," MasterChiefS7 raised an eyebrow at him. Michael looked away, then swallowed obviously to make his point. MasterChiefS7 rose to his feet. "Fine. I'll keep them down until this op is over, but the talking has to happen after that."</p>
<p>"If it gets too bad, tell them to take it out on the monster. That's what I plan on doing this round. I've been needing to hit something hard." He took the offered hand and stood up. He wavered a little, but either he'd had enough rest or it hadn't been as bad a drain on him this last time...probably the former if the monster had stopped to take a break.</p>
<p>"Come up on the wall with me," he ordered his third in command and led the way. Once they were on the wall, he could see that the monster was moving, although it was still just a head for now, and it still wasn't liking walking through purification bombs. Those slowed it down a lot actually.</p>
<p>Finally it turned inland. They'd expected that though and the next one took it down more. It moved seaward and hit the one in the middle, then kept going. It hit the next one and stopped and shook furiously. Then it melted and spread out over the ground.</p>
<p>That was going to be a problem. It actually had some level of problem solving skills that were smart. The next set of bombs that went off didn't do near as much damage because there wasn't as much mass to affect. It moved a lot faster, too.</p>
<p>Michael looked around the wall. The men had set up right. The net was laid and the south center was open...and the four who hadn't been present in the mountain all had one who had been with them. "Time," he said and grabbed hold of MasterChiefS7's arm. The other three were handled the same, and at once, the four already initiated cast a purification spell on the ones not.</p>
<p>"Come on, we're going to be the wall that makes that puddle enter the city." Michael dragged MasterChiefS7 to the south wall and they stood side by side at the point just where the southwest anchor would have to stand. The other pair on their side stood to guard the next anchor over to the west and the other two pairs went to the southeast anchors so that they had all four southern anchors protected by two shining with purification people each.</p>
<p>"It won't devour us?" MasterChiefS7 asked.</p>
<p>"It doesn't like purification snacks, remember?" Michael said calmly as the anchor arrived to take up his position. "Just hold still until the guy behind us collapses, then we'll lift him and get on the dragon. I plan on hitting whatever I can once the spell starts, assuming there's anything still to reach. We need to distract and detain until it's done, like last time."</p>
<p>MasterChiefS7 went with the flow and the others did as well. It was hard to feel traitor, but it was necessary for them to be initiated like the rest of them had been. The few didn't get out of having to pay the price the majority had to pay.</p>
<p>Again, it went rather like clockwork. The flowing mass entered over the south wall, parting to go around the three-man anchor points, not wanting to touch them, then water-falling down into the city. It went slow and cautious this time and Brian did have to stir it to get it to come in, tempting it by moving slowly back from the grasping and reaching matter, tangling up the fingerlings that came after him by zipping side to side, until he reached the far north.</p>
<p>Then he rose up high enough the fingerlings couldn't catch him and made the mass rise higher until he was zipping for the south and Michael's protection. They'd decided the spell couldn't be cast until he was in the ring since a Vengeful Spirit might be purified in bad ways. But it was Gareth who was being guarded by Michael so he knew when to cast. Michael tapped him on the back as soon as his ring was activated. The area purification spell went off.</p>
<p>The Devourer outside the city howled again and rose up like a great ocean wave or tsunami as if to crash down on all of them to break the spell of purification, but because it was thin and spread out, it couldn't enter the field of purification and what did come to crash down on them dissolved in wisps of smoke and bubbles.</p>
<p>The Devourer pulled back and solidified into the wall, as wide as the city and wider, then thickened until all the mass was in that one wall and it began to scrape the ground before it, intending to scrape the city flat.</p>
<p>Michael and the three other initiated anchor guards were down the city wall and running for the Devourer wall. The others on the dragons were in the air. They'd put the long range magic users and archers on the dragons. While they strafed the wall to keep it from the city, the close up fighters engaged and attacked with everything they had. Since everything was now a purification hit, anything worked as if it was regular damage instead of reversed damage.</p>
<p>Michael didn't worry too much about the uninitiated. They were being initiated as soon as their protection had left their sides, now being sufficiently purified for the goddess to show up and teach them their lesson as well. They'd all have to be rescued.</p>
<p>In the meantime the four took out their frustration and anger on the Devourer, wishing it could devour them at the same time as wishing it would die proxy for the Game Bot. For all that it had tried to get half the damage of the previous attack, by the time they were done, it actually retreated at less than half the HP it had started with.</p>
<p>The dragons came in and picked up the four close-in fighters, then turned and headed back for their pickups from the wall. Michael grabbed up Gareth as Secretary grabbed MasterChiefS7. Legal let Vesuvius know they had the packages and they were moving north again. This time Michael had Vesuvius take the rear and when they were just far enough north, he circled them back slightly and let Brian out.</p>
<p>"Stay with us if you can and roast the bastard. I want it good and angry that we still have you and it doesn't." Brian settled on Michael's shoulder and seemed to hum happily to himself. It sounded kind of like the theme song to <em>Rocky</em>, or something similar.</p>
<p>It made Michael remember Purrcy's tirade about <em>The Last Boy Scout</em> and <em>Independence Day</em>, and he had to hold Gareth close to him and press his lips tightly shut. It summed it up...and hurt real bad. "How's MasterChief?" Michael asked Secretary when he could talk again.</p>
<p>"Just as bad off as the rest of us," he was answered, "- out cold." Michael nodded. They'd explain it...after the op was over.</p>
<p>"Is he at 1HP or did they get to escape that punishment?"</p>
<p>"Escaped it, lucky bastards, but then they didn't try to attack the Goddess' favorites."</p>
<p>"It might come later," Michael warned, but it wasn't necessary to warn these, and there wasn't a way to warn the newly initiated. He sighed and closed his eyes. "Welcome to the third level of hell," he said to the not-listening men. "Brian, you can Enter and Sleep now." Since he didn't have a choice with those commands, he did.</p>
<p>They flew the rest of that night until they reached Diego, set three outlying warning traps, set a watch, and slept their posts. They hadn't seeded the ground in this last stretch, partially because they'd flown over most of it before planning, and because they knew it would discourage the Devourer and make it try to be sneaky and they didn't want that. It would move a lot faster, though, once it realized they'd left it free.</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>A loud, "GAH-ZAAAAAP!" woke the Eagles up. A second one got them on their feet in a hurry, if they already weren't. The Devourer had been moving fast enough it couldn't stop it's forward roll before hitting the second trap. It managed to not lose so much of itself on the third trap as it melted back into a thin flood and reached more slowly forward.</p>
<p>Michael rewarded it by allowing Brian back out again. Brian floated next to Michael for a bit first this time to watch what the Devourer did. It noticed him, of course, and writhed a bit wanting him but not wanting more immediate punishment.</p>
<p>It slowly moved forward until it touched the outside of the south wall. That boundary seemed to satisfy it and it moved to flow around the wall until the city was completely surrounded by a moat of Devourer.</p>
<p>Michael nodded. "Siege it is, then," he said to everyone. "We'll have to have patience for this one. Keep the anchors protected and only use what you have to use.</p>
<p>"Dragons, stay as high as you can on the inside until your islands aren't protections any longer. That should be close to the time we'll be ready to purify anyway so you shouldn't have to be in the air for too long. I expect the end to be more exciting, too, so stay sharp. It wouldn't surprise me if it decided to use catapults."</p>
<p>He did wish they had one more member of their guild today. He and Gareth were alone. All the other nodes had three - one to be the anchor, one to be healer, and one to be tank or fighter. The anchors would have some limited fighting or healing capacity for a while - until Brian was a tempting enough target to get the Devourer to find him directly again.</p>
<p>The Devourer might have some limited capacity for strategy and planning, but it was still an Overwritten. They were intelligent in their limited way, and so far this one had a lot of pluses to staying alive and a lot of negatives for subtly.</p>
<p>The Devourer was climbing up the wall now and, true to sieges, they started throwing things at it to make it stay down. Where it was thin, they sent down thin waterfalls of purification to wash it down. Where it was thick, they sent down boulders of purification.</p>
<p>If they had time around the edges, they threw their own oil pots and boulders into the middle of the moat, making temporary holes in it that filled back up. It went on for nearly an hour - a very long time in boss battles even.</p>
<p>In the end, they couldn't hold back the tendrils that slipped over the wall and entered the city proper to go seeking Brian. They also couldn't focus enough to go hunting for them since as soon as the gaps were breached, the Devourer figured out where the anchors were positioned and sent the thicker and more difficult attacks at them specifically - for exactly the reason of distracting them from defending the city and Brian.</p>
<p>Really, though, why did it think they'd let him out again? Didn't it understand the concept of bait yet? Or perhaps it didn't understand it was fighting the <em>same</em> enemy each time.</p>
<p>When Brian was high enough, he zipped up even higher and popped off a code realm spell to Michael - the kind that he didn't need HP for - and Michael cast the purification spell over the city. Brian was high enough to be out of the purification zone. The Devourer was enraged again. It lashed out with attacks against the anchors, tried to make a dome over the city, tried to wrap them up with tendrils from outside, but it couldn't reach them.</p>
<p>It finally sat and waited, the thickest pieces of it waiting at the places the anchors were set. The dragons, circling inside the wall boundary of the city, also had to dodge tendrils. For their own protection they were circling low enough to be in the purification zone.</p>
<p>Michael sighed to himself when he realized it. He hoped the High Priestess didn't take them out claiming them too, but he wouldn't be surprised if she used it to her advantage somehow. She was watching and she always thought of things and acted whenever there was opportunity.</p>
<p>He wasn't wrong. As soon as the spell over the city was done, he released it and the dragons came to collect. He kept the purification up over himself as each one who could was doing. The pieces trying to crash into them only broke. They'd have to leave what fell into the city alone at this point. It was survive and escape now.</p>
<p>Vesuvius arrived and he and Gareth jumped up and were grabbed and pulled up onto the dragon. Another crashing wave of the Devourer came after them and it broke again - and this time so that not even the dragon was touched. She'd left them as a purified item for now, untouchable.</p>
<p>That didn't deter the Devourer. It rose up around them from the walls of the city, keeping pace with the circling and rising dragons, creating an enclosing cage and trying to prevent them from leaving.</p>
<p>"Straight up, if you can. It's going to close us in and smother," Michael said. It wasn't going to be easy. The dragons were already losing diameter to gain the height they needed. "Halti, you first, go!"</p>
<p>The others held back on gaining altitude and Halti worked her wings hard, beating them as her nose pointed as vertical as she could get. She managed to break out and Michael sent the green next. Again it was the same. Michael sent the blue next. When it protested, he argued back. "The hole is going to be too small. You then Vesuvius have to go before it's too small for either of you. Go!" It went and Vesuvius followed after, but his tail had to cut a path through.</p>
<p>"Come on, hurry," Michael called back to the yellow-green. It was working hard already and not far behind Vesuvius, but the dome was closing in, looking like a tall curved pyramid now. Everyone on board ducked as they sliced through the Devourer material and held onto the intent to still be purified and swung with weapons if they had them.</p>
<p>The "divine protection" on the dragon helped as well and they were able to shed the clutching material of the Devourer. It continued to rise up after them, into the sky to thin until it couldn't support itself anymore and fell back into the city. Those with any strength left at all dropped a few more bombs after it into the city and it fled into corners and disappeared.</p>
<p>Michael collected Brian again with a "thank you", then wanted to pass out. They were on their last leg of the trip, headed for the City of Angels again. This time, they would have to deal with all the holes everywhere and no wall to speak of.</p>
<p>He really hoped the Devourer had been cut down to a quarter size with this battle. The next one, like all boss battles that were nearing the end, would be the most difficult. They would have liked to have finished it here, but they had to rest.</p>
<p>Michael opened up the full party chat and prayed. "Inari-no-Izanami, goddess of gamers and lover of the Creatures of the Land. Please grant us a miracle in the final battle against the Devourer that has destroyed everything you love in this place." Every Eagle answered, "Amen," tired but with feeling.</p>
<p>Below them, all unexpected because he'd been asking for help in the next battle, a light surrounded the city as if the spell they had just finished casting was being cast again.</p>
<p>When it had faded, the Devourer was gone and there was a shining golden cup hovering over the city. Gareth asked Vesuvius to fly close enough they could collect it. Michael reached up in surprise as they reached it and collected it in his arms.</p>
<p>"It's all the Vengeful Spirits in one place," he said in awe, trying not to disbelieve since somehow that seemed wrong when the Priest had asked for a miracle and received one and that was him. "You all okay with winning this way?"</p>
<p>"Take it," was the tired answer.</p>
<p>Since he was that tired too, he agreed, but he hoped they didn't change their minds later. Of course, they still had the Maze to fight. "Okay. Good enough for a side quest then." He got scornful laughs for that one. They were probably all thinking like he was, <em>If that was just a side quest what have we gotten ourselves into?</em></p>
<p>"Vesuvius, can you take us somewhere in the mountains to recover that we won't draw Overwritten to? We need to recover for probably a few days before we continue...and if there's food to be had that would be even better. In the meantime, I'm passing out now."</p>
<p>Michael put the vessel in his list, made sure Brian was in his ring, then let go with a, "Thank you, Goddess, for hearing our prayer." It would be a good idea to be polite about it, and he was grateful to Purrcy - on some level. It was useful to be in tight with a goddess and her High Priestess when it could be called on in that way.</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>Purrcy stayed with the Eagles, watching over them and what they did, until they were encamped in the mountains, nudging Vesuvius to find some consecutive zones with foodstuff and no close-by Overwritten. She made sure their spells of protection were sufficient to keep them protected from the Overwritten, pleased when she didn't have to fill holes this time.</p>
<p>It felt a bit like tucking them into bed, if on a larger scale. She needed to do that much. She was required to be mostly whole again and they needed to be able to survive on their own until she could get back to them.</p>
<p>She arrived ikiryō-Purrcy to the rest of her in the Gate of Time and joined in with the activities in progress. In her own linear time-line she'd already passed the lessons for learning to travel through Time and Space, and had just graduated a week before from the University of Temple Administration, having gone through the coursework she needed to understand what her staff was doing for her and how.</p>
<p>That had seemed a lot more prudent way to learn it all properly than bothering the staff. They'd been doing an excellent job of keeping things moving forward smoothly for her while she'd worked on learning to work with them instead of trying to keep doing it all herself. Each day's lesson had helped them all as well, since she'd been able to apply it immediately.</p>
<p>Misaki-Purrcy was the one participating in the base realm side quests all over Theldesia since that was the form that got sent around as a messenger anyway. The High Priestess was the one working at the temple on her proper job. It was ikiryō-Purrcy that had been practicing the time walking to watch over MeowLi, Michael, and the Eagles, and going to classes.</p>
<p>Her very first lesson had been taught to her by Inari, being the creation of the time-increased space to take Demikas into. All of her had been required to be present for that, the Oracle had stayed with them at that past time, and at the birth ikiryō-Purrcy had been present. She was needed other places after that, so hadn't stayed. One thing Demikas could do was stay alive.</p>
<p>She'd been tutored in how time worked with the game play with him, too, before being set loose as the assistant administrator: the part he played in being dragged out of the protective time-space and getting back into it being overseen by her being overseen by Izanami. Getting to do that had cleared up her confusion from that time originally - but she'd suspected it was something of that sort then anyway.</p>
<p>Things by now had settled into a pattern and it was time for the first celebration of theirs in the Gate of Time. It was to be a three day celebration, from the one year anniversary of the linear Gate of Time through to the first birthday of the four kittens.</p>
<p>Purrcy wasn't too pleased with that part - that the city as a whole wanted to make a big deal out of the birth of the kittens. It would surely give them inflated heads, egos, and set a very bad precedent unless the kittens were taught most severely to not put on unearned airs. They should definitely be respectful and grateful they were alive, she supposed, though.</p>
<p>It was fortunate that this year they were still too young to really understand what was going on other than it was noisy, busy, colorful, and full of long, boring religious-related activities. Purrcy and Nyanta both sternly required them, even at the age of one, to sit still and quiet the whole time for all of them, maintain perfect poise (as perfect as a one year old could get), and be respectful.</p>
<p>Nyanta did it to teach them proper Japanese restraint. Purrcy did it to make sure they learned to dislike the yearly ceremonies and understand fully that they were more for the city than for them.</p>
<p>At the end of the final ceremony on their birthday, she rewarded the four kittens with a real American birthday party. It was small with only the temple staff present. As they watched the four finally get to run around and be rambunctious with their playmates, the two parents were able to finally relax as well.</p>
<p>Purrcy had decorated the audience hall and put the thrones on the floor. She'd replicated balloons, but they wouldn't pop until she was all done with them and it was time for clean-up. The children were tossing them around and at each other. She and Nyanta had spent the night before taking over the kitchen, having a quiet and intimate cooking session, getting the cookies (her) and cakes (him) made. That had been fun as well and a very nice date.</p>
<p>Since she could travel through time with one person now, after the cooking was over she'd taken them back to the beginning of the night and they'd slept with the kittens so the party was completely a surprise to them. (And the two of them hadn't had to be tired-grumpy all through the final day of dull celebration.)</p>
<p>Really, Purrcy was going to have to teach the city how to properly celebrate. If it wasn't strict high religion ceremonies, it was wild orgies that children and most adults shouldn't be involved in. She locked her own temple down during those celebrations - no one going out or in.</p>
<p>She'd refused to go anywhere near the few that were sacrificial in nature. She understood that it was part of the flavor text and part of the way the world had been set up, but she was completely morally opposed regardless. It was just better to not get anywhere near it until she had to - and she really hoped there didn't have to be a "have to" time.</p>
<p>The next morning they would return to their routine. Ikiryō-Purrcy would be entering the next university for the next set of lessons - the ones that would teach her all the history of all the temples, deities, and their philosophies and requirements.</p>
<p>As part of her lessons there, Nyanta would be taking the High Priestess to the regularly scheduled Court of the Gods meetings. For now, she would be an aide only for him during the time she was being educated. Her final would likely be to see if she could survive one alone. She was definitely <em>not</em> looking forward to that.</p>
<p>Purrcy had been ignoring Miru's teasing of Meiki, since Meiki could already hold her own against her brother. His strength couldn't defend him from her sharp claws. His yelp had caught her attention, though, so she was suddenly paying attention to the both of them to make sure it didn't go from teasing to full on fighting. Learning strength to stand was one thing. Abuse was another.</p>
<p>As Miru turned in full pout to let out his frustration at being blocked yet again, Purrcy interposed herself. He'd begun taking it out on MeowLi, who would cower down instead of defend. Purrcy didn't want MeowLi to learn either submission or hatred. If she caught Miru before he got even close to MeowLi, MeowLi wasn't any the wiser it was coming. She would learn her own strengths in time and be able to best him with her wits, but that wasn't now at the age of one.</p>
<p>"No, Miru. The proper response is to apologize for making Meiki mad." She held him from moving until he slumped.</p>
<p>"I'm sorrwy, Meiki," he said, only a little sullenly.</p>
<p>"Don't hit!" Meiki scolded back. She'd certainly heard enough adults say that by now to be able to say it herself.</p>
<p>"Just nod," Purrcy instructed. Miru nodded. "Now try to remember you don't like getting clawed and don't start the fight to begin with. No one likes to be teased, not even you." She let Miru go. Nyanta smoothly moved in to distract Miru with something more fun than teasing and scoldings.</p>
<p>Purrcy turned to Meiki. "Meiki, don't bait your brother. Because you were at fault this time, you will also receive a punishment." She put Meiki up in the air and left her there two minutes to see just why she would rather be on the floor having good fun with sweets and balloons rather than having bad fun baiting her brother into being bad himself.</p>
<p>Purrcy had always followed the rule on Earth: two minutes of time out for every year of age of the offending child. They had to say why they were in time-out and apologize to get out or it was repeated until they did. That helped them focus on the problem at hand instead of sit and daydream until they were bored.</p>
<p>Meiki already knew she wanted out the first time. For a long time she'd always been the one in longest, thinking she could get away with ignoring the problem instead. She was bright and a troublemaker. Miru still took forever and likely would until he was three. MeowLi adored her father and would never get into trouble if she could help it. His gentle correcting was usually enough to make her almost-cry (or even cry).</p>
<p>It was really the opposite of what Purrcy had expected of the two girls. MeowLi's propensity to cower and accept abuse would have fit what Purrcy would have expected to be Nureha's problem from her beginning. Her environment growing up on Earth would then have been the main cause of her learning hatred.</p>
<p>Meiki's wildness was different, particularly from what Nureha had been like. Sometimes it seemed American-wild. Sometimes Purrcy wondered if Meiki's psyche wasn't Nureha, but was instead purified matter of Theldesia that had been a demihuman before. Either way, she took as much watching as Miru, who at least had some restraint in comparison.</p>
<p>Setsubou was similar to MeowLi, in that he was serious. Tonight he was running around, letting off steam like any two year old would have to on Earth (the feline faster growth added to the human slower growth translated to them mentally aging about two human years for every actual year), but most of the time he preferred to be quiet and observe everything going on around him. He also followed his father around in absolute father-worship like boys should.</p>
<p>It made Purrcy a bit jealous, sometimes, but when all four (or rather five honestly) welcomed her home to their suite of rooms at the end of the day so happy to see her and to have her with them for the brief time she was allowed to be whole and rest, it made her feel warm and contented. She relaxed and played with them then until they were tired enough to settle down and listen to her stories.</p>
<p>She and Nyanta both told them stories of Earth, of Akiba and Yamato, and of Adventurers. Nyanta sometimes told stories of the unbounded Gate of Time for the sake of MeowLi, and sometimes Purrcy could share stories of the work she was doing outside the Gate of Time, so that they knew of the Creatures of the Land, the People of the Land, and of all the Children she had watch over as Caretaker.</p>
<p>Broadening the horizons of the kittens with the stories helped the most with keeping them grounded. There were worlds out there they knew little about. The small city of the Gate of Time wasn't all there was, nor was it even "normal", and all four knew that someday they would be leaving it.</p>
<p>They settled the kittens down in their room that night, after they'd finally run themselves out and helped with clean-up. (Purrcy made them all help when it was "family time" in the temple.) MeowLi's sleepy voice piped up. "Hahaue...we heard all day the story of our birth but, what was our beginning? How did we come to be?"</p>
<p>Purrcy and Nyanta exchanged a look. Purrcy smiled and pet MeowLi's head gently. "Izanagi asked Hahaue and Chichiue if we would be willing to be the First Adventurer Parents of Theldesia. Because we care for each other, and because Chichiue wanted children of his own, we were willing."</p>
<p>Meiki frowned. "Didn't you want children, Hahaue?"</p>
<p>Purrcy smiled a little more. "As the Caretaker, everyone is already my child. I was happy to gift you to your father, because I love him. And I love all of you as well. How can a mother not love the children of her body?" She gently pet each of the kittens, purring for them until they relaxed into sleep.</p>
<p>As they walked back to their own bed, Nyanta asked Purrcy, "Will we have to tell them someday the more full story, nyan?"</p>
<p>Purrcy shook her head. "No. It's okay to let children only see the good of their parents and protect them. You may need to tell a little more to MeowLi in private when she's mature enough to handle the knowing, but that won't be for years to come. Family protects itself. If the rest of the world throws things at them, they can still stay standing that way. There isn't call to damage us in their eyes ourselves. I'm sure the rest of the world will try all on its own."</p>
<p>She settled down next to him, both of them in cat form for the night, and began to groom the back of his head, purring for him now. "Let your children love the you that is the father they love. You need it, since it is also who you <em>are</em>." She moved down his head to grooming his neck, then his shoulder, until he finally sighed and relaxed.</p>
<p>He turned to her, transforming back to felinoid, and held her in his arms. She obligingly changed back as well. As he made soft love to her, she was glad she had been able to help him love himself a little more that night. He was healing, little by little.</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>MeowLi walked out of her parent's room - although she was trying to think of it as <em>her</em> room so it wasn't so hard to be in it or to leave it. It helped that she had a reason to leave it every morning. She'd decided it the very first morning to wake up in it three mornings ago: she was going to help the guild by cooking for them. If no one else could cook but the very busy twins, then she could keep herself moving forward by doing that for them.</p>
<p>She'd asked them what time they arrived in the kitchen each morning and had set her internal clock to make sure she arrived then as well. She would still need some training after all, and she couldn't get to all the ingredients the same way.</p>
<p>That first morning, the twins had kindly asked her questions like, "So how did you store perishable foods in the Gate of Time?" Similar questions to what she herself was asking about this city of Adventurers. She learned quickly to make a bit of a game out of it. For every question they asked and she answered, she asked one.</p>
<p>They'd recognized the game, smiles on their faces, and had fallen into it happily. They were still doing it this fourth day she was in Akiba when she arrived in the kitchen, asking as their first question, "What was your favorite breakfast made by your parents?"</p>
<p>"Ah, there were several. I was actually thinking of pancakes as I got up this morning," she admitted.</p>
<p>"Wonderful!" Minori said. "Then we can do that." MeowLi was happy with that.</p>
<p>The silence as they got to work getting things out stretched on a bit longer than normal and when they looked at her in expectation, she blinked. "Ah...," she suddenly realized she didn't have a question to ask. "What shall we plan for dinner tonight?" she asked in lieu of a learning question.</p>
<p>Minori and Touya exchanged a look, but launched into a list of things that were available. The three had been working out dinners during the breakfast time so that the twins could pull out ingredients for her before they left for work. She couldn't get into the "fridge" on her own.</p>
<p>If what was on the menu needed to be kept cool (or sometimes hot), one of the other Adventurers who would be in the guild hall for dinner would store it in their "list" for her until she was ready to cook dinner.</p>
<p>When that had been settled, Touya asked, "What would you want to see of Akiba outside the guild hall first?"</p>
<p>MeowLi's ear flicked in surprise and perhaps a bit of worry, but she considered the question seriously. "I guess the Academy...and maybe visit my parent's tree. I'd like to see what it looks like from the ground." It had sounded like a safe place to visit with few people, too. "I liked the university environment when I was there. Purrhaps that would be a safe place to be introduced to more people without them thinking it was odd to have a new purrson."</p>
<p>She paused in a bit of surprise. She'd really relaxed to let her "purrs" out. She'd loved that her father said his words that way, but she'd also wanted to learn to be formal. When her mother had said that felinoids were a minority on Theldesia, and only a slightly larger percentage of Adventurers, she'd decided that she should learn to speak more like her mother. But at home when they'd relax, she'd kept at least that much, liking them so much.</p>
<p>Touya's soft hand on her head was slightly surprising, but his warm words were comforting. "If you've finally relaxed enough to admit you're your father's daughter, that's a good thing. It's comforting to hear a piece of Chichiue while you're here." He moved on, not forcing her to face him, increasing her gratitude.</p>
<p>"I think that would be a good start as well," Minori supported her as well both by moving the conversation on and by being cheerfully interested. "Marie-san keeps asking when she can invite you over next door, but we think that you should start a little slower than that." She turned a grin to MeowLi. "If you've been at university, then you know what it might be like to suddenly be in the cafeteria crowded with rowdy boys and talkative girls. Their guild hall is like that."</p>
<p>MeowLi nodded. "I'd like to be able to visit there, but yes, I'm not ready quite yet for the cafeteria level." She smiled at her own memories. She and Setsubou had sat quietly together for a month before they'd managed to work up the courage to invite a few others to sit with them. Miru and Meiki had each moved to their own tables, full of chatty friends they'd quickly gathered within the first three days.</p>
<p>They passed around questions about their schooling differences as they finished making breakfast. At the breakfast meeting that morning, when it got to Touya and Minori, they added to their usual schedule one new item. "MeowLi's learned everything she can being in the house. We think a visit to the outside will help her come up with more questions." Touya said.</p>
<p>"We'd suggest a visit to the Academy during a quiet time and she's asked to see the tree, too," Minori said. She turned to Rudy. "Could you do that today, and maybe have Serera go with you since tours of the Academy are her thing?"</p>
<p>Rudy gave a nod, but he was looking at Shiroe. MeowLi turned to look at him as well. He was thinking about it, while giving her a searching look. Her ear turned a bit.</p>
<p>Shiroe gave his permission for the excursion. "As long as you'll let them know if you get overwhelmed so they can bring you back. Enough of the city knows now that felinoids transform, so you can go to cat or kitten if you need to, but I'd rather before it got that overwhelming you were back here."</p>
<p>"Okay," MeowLi agreed. She did wonder if it was because she might look too much like her father if she transformed into cat. Other felinoids would know she was female, but someone looking from a distance might not be able to tell the differences.</p>
<p>She was slimmer than her father, and her white patterning was different, there not being as much of it and none on her neck or upper chest. Because her white was all on her belly, if they were lying down next to each other they were nearly the same. She decided that she'd definitely wear a dress for the trip. That way there would be no confusion: her gentleman father would never be caught dead in one.</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>A chat came through as Serera was helping clean up from the guild's breakfast. "Miss Serera."</p>
<p><em>Miss? Oh. It's Rudy.</em> "Hello, Rudy-kun. What can I help you with?" Serera wiped the last of the water off the dish she was holding and put it in the cupboard.</p>
<p>"Miss MeowLi is ready to get out and see the beautiful sunshine. Would you have some time today to go with her and I on a short jaunt to the Academy and perchance to be her guide while we are there?"</p>
<p>Serera picked up the next washed dish in the pile and considered her schedule. "I need to be there for my morning study session. If you're both ready to go now, I could show her around before then."</p>
<p>"That would be perfect, I believe. We're just finishing breakfast cleaning now. If you'll let me know when you're leaving the building, we'll meet you outside."</p>
<p>"Okay," Serera agreed. The chat closed. Serera frowned just a little bit.</p>
<p>She did have to collect a few things, and she'd been hoping for time for one more review of the things she was planning on going over for the students at the study session. She'd already written it up and had reviewed it last night before going to bed. Maybe that would be enough. She had about an hour and a half until she had to be there.</p>
<p>Marielle breezed up to Serera. "Was that Log Horizon?" she asked lightly. Even as Serera went to nod, Marielle had taken the drying cloth from Serera's hand and then the dish. "If they're finally letting MeowLi-chan out of the house, you can run along. I'll fill in here - don't worry yourself about it." Serera took the time to look at Marielle's face. Ulterior motives would show without a doubt. Marielle had on a smile, but her eyes seemed just a little anxious.</p>
<p>Serera paused, not sure if it was because her guildmistress wanted to see that MeowLi had a few more friends and wasn't sure if Serera wanted to be one, or if it was because she was concerned about Log Horizon being unhappy with her (or them) for not being prompt - although Serera was sure they wouldn't be that. Even being the senior of the sister guilds, they were still very patient and polite when they could be, and Rudy had sounded both.</p>
<p>"It's okay, Marielle-san. They're just finishing up breakfast clean-up as well." Serera hurried to add when Marielle's smile started to falter, making it the former: "But if you would, I do need just a few minutes to review my notes before we go."</p>
<p>"I'm happy to help, Serera-chan!" Marielle's face lit up again, confirming it. She immediately wiped the dish with great enthusiasm.</p>
<p>Serera smiled and turned away to leave the kitchen. If she didn't, her guildmistress would continue to put on the enthusiastic display until she broke a dish in her efforts to prove her determination, delaying them all that much longer. She did sigh to herself just a little as she walked to her room.</p>
<p>She would have taken the last room open, but the guild had made her take one on the second floor with the other senior members, wanting to show her their respect and gratitude for her efforts for them all. She'd had to accept, and honestly had appreciated it. Even though she had eventually cleaned out all the back steps and then gotten Marine Organization to come back out and make repairs, she really didn't like heights at all.</p>
<p>As she walked up the two flights of those stairs, she considered this morning's request. She'd not been asked to take MeowLi herself, so that meant they wanted at least two to be with her outside the house, and themselves to still be watching over her.</p>
<p>She knew MeowLi was a Person of the Land from the Gate of Time who had never been out of it until four days ago. While it certainly made sense to help her get acclimated to Adventurers and Akiba slowly, there was a niggling worry in the pit of Serera's stomach. She'd been trying hard to ignore it since it had started during the dinner she and Marielle had met MeowLi at.</p>
<p>MeowLi was properly polite and had been very nervous at that dinner, having only arrived that day. Everyone had been kind to her, including Serera, but not pressuring her overly. Serera had participated in the conversation on the junior side of the table since Log Horizon's children had made sure to include both her and MeowLi in the conversation, wanting the two to get to know each other a bit.</p>
<p>They had been a little too careful in their selections of topics, though, and had changed them abruptly a few times. That meant there were things about MeowLi's situation that shouldn't be talked about, at least outside their guild.</p>
<p>Both that clue and the one Rudy had just let out reminded Serera just a little too much of Purrcy. Log Horizon had done both of the same for her. Thus why the worms were back this morning again.</p>
<p>Serera walked into her room and sat down at her little desk, pulling her class notes towards her. It was hard to focus on them, though. The other little clues she had kept pulling her attention. Serera frowned at herself, not wanting the distraction, nor the worry since it really kept pulling at the jealousy she'd been working so hard to overcome.</p>
<p>It shouldn't matter that MeowLi was grey and white. Surely lots of felinoid People of the Land were grey and white. It shouldn't matter that MeowLi stood straight and proper. Nyanta had told her and the other children as they'd worked in the kitchen that he'd appreciated being in the Gate of Time (after the first time) because they were all highly intelligent and refined there. It only stood to reason that MeowLi should be.</p>
<p>And, come to think of it then, that she would want to see the Academy first, on top of it being a more quiet place to begin than say the market district. Serera had to snort a small laugh and shake her head at that. She wouldn't have started a new Person of the Land there either.</p>
<p>She firmly refocused her mind back on the papers in front of her. If she didn't move quickly, there wouldn't be enough time and she didn't want to disappoint Log Horizon (read: Shiroe). That slight goad helped her finish quickly reviewing her notes.</p>
<p>When she was done, she put her notes in her list and rose to her feet. Her heart twinged again briefly, not wanting to help today. She firmly pushed it down and marched herself out the door anyway. Such thoughts weren't kind, and it wouldn't be any different than any of the other tours she'd given of the Academy.</p>
<p>That made Serera think of Qwased and the tour she'd given him - which was a much better thing to think about actually. She was glad he'd come to ask her. He stopped by every now and again to visit at dinners, particularly when there wasn't anyone to fix them at Log Horizon those nights. He hadn't come for about five or six days now, but that wasn't too unusual.</p>
<p>He'd probably be going with them to the Academy today, but the breakfast meetings were held late enough that on this day he'd already gone there for his first early-morning class. They would likely be having lunch together again. He had two classes, then came to her study class and they often did go to lunch together after. It was nice to have a friend there when her other friends were busy during the day.</p>
<p>As Serera passed through the hallway on the first floor, Marielle passed her. "Have fun!" she said cheerfully.</p>
<p>"Thank you, Marielle-san. I hope MeowLi will enjoy seeing the Academy."</p>
<p>"I'm sure she will," Marielle said without much thought, then immediately went to some concern, "at least, I hope she will." Neither of them knew just what MeowLi would like after all. "At least, I'm sure she should enjoy getting out of the house and breathing fresh air. Today is such a beautiful early April day!"</p>
<p>"I'm sure she would," Serera agreed. "Anyone would, I would think."</p>
<p>Marielle gave a smiling nod of agreement and disappeared into her room with a wave. Serera sighed after her and headed for the door to the outside herself, letting Rudy know on the way that she was coming.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Sibling Rivalry and Crises of Faith</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Serera watched MeowLi and Rudy carried the conversation as they walked along the road to the Academy. MeowLi looked a lot more relaxed generally, particularly with Rudy. She looked around with great interest as they went, her eyes alive and her tail in constant motion like the rest of her as she tried to learn this new city to be in.</p>
<p>"How different are Akiba and the Gate of Time?" Serera asked at a pause in Rudy's commentary.</p>
<p>"Very," MeowLi answered politely. "I was very confused when I first arrived. It has surprised me how different the sounds and smells are. We don't have those in the Gate of Time." MeowLi pointed up toward a window in the building they were passing.</p>
<p>Serera was a bit confused. Surely it wasn't windows she meant. Then the little bird that had been sitting on the sill flew off and MeowLi's pointing finger followed it. "There aren't any birds in the Gate of Time?" Serera asked, amazed.</p>
<p>MeowLi shook her head. "There isn't much of anything that moves in the sky or on the ground. All of the things that move here surprised me. It took me a while to get settled to all the noise."</p>
<p>"Oh, well, our guild hall is very noisy in comparison," Serera said.</p>
<p>MeowLi laughed, it being a light sound. "Oh, we have those sounds. The boys in the university cafeteria are very loud, so much so that the girls have to get very close to each other to hear each other."</p>
<p>Serera laughed with her. "Yes, it's like that, isn't it?" She saw that all the time in her own guild cafeteria, and it had been like that at home, too. "So you've been to university?"</p>
<p>MeowLi nodded. "All children in the Gate of Time are educated at a university from the time they turn seven. Usually they attend the one their parents attended - there's five and each one teaches a different set of skills. H - my mother attended all of them, but my father wanted me to attend the one that teaches how to be a high level attendant at the temples, since that was his position."</p>
<p>"Your mother went to all five?" Serera's eyes went wide.</p>
<p>MeowLi's ear tipped in acknowledgment. "She was considered an over-achiever, but then she did have a lot of responsibilities that crossed over most of the skill sets. She still didn't have to go to <em>all</em> of them. Those who were jealous of her claimed that she did all of them just to have the bragging rights." Rudy smiled and shook his head. Serera had to shake her head, too. That seemed a bit much.</p>
<p>"What did you do after that?" Serera asked.</p>
<p>They could hear the sounds of the outdoor lesson areas now and MeowLi's ears were turning again, trying to catch the sounds. Still, she politely answered the question instead of looking around for where they were coming from. It spoke to her training. "I worked in the Temple of Time as a secretary for one of Li Shou's staff."</p>
<p>"That must have been interesting," Serera said politely.</p>
<p>"Sometimes," MeowLi agreed. "Mostly it's just paperwork, though."</p>
<p>Serera nodded her understanding, turning to look at the first practice field. She pointed to it and explained who was on it and what they were doing, the same as she would for any guest.</p>
<p>As the tour went on, she could tell that MeowLi was gathering a lot of questions, but she withheld asking them. Serera supposed that if everything was new, there would be far too many questions and all of the answers would pile up on top of anyone until they were too much. Likely MeowLi would have a lot of questions for Log Horizon (and poor Rudy most of all) once they were back home and she could sort through them.</p>
<p>MeowLi did relax as they walked through the Academy building, and she looked around very curiously. When they reached the end of the tour in the cafeteria so they could sit and answer any questions she might have, Rudy asked, "So overall, what do you think Miss MeowLi?"</p>
<p>"It seems small?" MeowLi finally asked tentatively.</p>
<p>Both Adventurers nodded. "It is. But we've only just opened it nine months ago," Serera explained. "We plan on expanding further as more people come to learn here. A course list for People of the Land is being worked on by the school board. We've received a list of courses that they would like to take, some that Duke Sergiad has requested that he'd like to send his retainers to, and we think there are a few he'd send his children to as well."</p>
<p>She paused, then said, "It's still tentative since we don't know how long we'll still be here, but Shiroe-san has said to go ahead and work up what classes we do have teachers for. Until we know when we'll go, we should do what we can to help others is the philosophy we work under generally anyway." She paused because MeowLi was looking very concerned. Serera looked at Rudy for some help.</p>
<p>Gently Rudy explained, "Most of the Adventurers want to go home to where they came from. We're working hard for that goal, but if any want to stay they won't be forced to go. If you haven't heard of it before, it's likely because any Adventurers you might know weren't planning on leaving."</p>
<p>MeowLi gave a nod and sat thinking for a bit. "What is the course list for the Academy? Are there any classes that might help me? And, if you're going to add in classes for the People of the Land, what are those classes, and could I become a teacher here?"</p>
<p>Serera nodded. "We'll take any teacher who knows something others want to learn. We'd be happy to have you take classes. There is a charge for them. If you don't have gold, we have a work program."</p>
<p>Rudy shook his head. "I don't think she'd need to do that, but if she taught and took classes, that might be the same?"</p>
<p>Serera considered that. "I would think so. It's helping the Academy, after all, but it isn't my place to say yes or no. What sort of things do you know how to do that you might be able to teach, MeowLi?" Serera asked her.</p>
<p>"Well, I can cook, and do secretarial duties, and a few other things. I thought if I saw the list I would be able to know where I might fit."</p>
<p>Rudy nodded. "She's been cooking for us, although she's had to learn the differences between the two places. Guildmaster Shiroe's been very relieved to have a chef in the house again."</p>
<p>Serera stiffened, then said. "It's about time for me to go get ready. Rudy-kun, would you be willing to stop by the admissions office with MeowLi and pick up the course offering materials? You'd have to talk to Marielle-san to get the list of People of the Land classes they're thinking of."</p>
<p>"Certainly, Miss Serera," Rudy said expansively. "Thank you for taking the time to show us the tour."</p>
<p>"Yes, thank you very much," MeowLi echoed politely.</p>
<p>"You're welcome," Serera answered. She stood, hesitated, then asked, "While you were in the Gate of Time, did you know a Nyanta-san?" Rudy looked a little more sharply at Serera, but she ignored him as best she could. She really wanted to get the tightness of her stomach to go away.</p>
<p>MeowLi took a breath, then answered, "Yes, I knew of him. He was a guest of Li Shou's in the Temple of Time." Her ears were stiffly pointed at Serera, but her tail wasn't happy to have been asked the question.</p>
<p>"He was very kind to me here from the beginning," Serera explained. "When I was in trouble in Susukino, he let me stay with him, protecting me until my guild here could come rescue me. He came back with us, although Log Horizon was already his home. ...I miss him."</p>
<p>MeowLi's eyes were a little wide. "He is a kind person," she agreed. She hesitated, then asked, "I'm sure it's not polite, but...may I ask how old you are, Serera?"</p>
<p>Serera decided to let her know. It wasn't that difficult for her. "My avatar is younger than I am. My actual age is nineteen."</p>
<p>MeowLi nodded. "Thank you. ...His wife, the Caretaker, was known of in the Gate of Time and was feared. Did you know her?"</p>
<p>Serera nodded. "I do know Purrcy-san. She can be formidable, but she was also very kind to me. I hope the two of them are happy, and safe." She bowed. "Please excuse me." They nodded, thanking her again, and she fled the room. It had suddenly become too much.</p>
<p>She sat with a thump in the chair at her desk at the front of the study room and covered her face with her hands, trying to get herself under control so she could teach in but a few more minutes. A warm hand came on her shoulder. "Serera? Are you okay?"</p>
<p>Serera shook her head. "I'm sorry, Qwased." It came out as miserable as she felt. The heels of her hands were getting as wet as her cheeks as the tears she couldn't contain leaked from her eyes.</p>
<p>Qwased leaned back against her desk, pulled her head to rest on him, and held her. His warmth and physical presence was comforting, enough to pull from her the one wish she had: "I want to be where Chichiue and Hahaue are."</p>
<p>Whether that was Earth or the Gate of Time, it didn't matter. To know in her gut that MeowLi had been there, with them in the Gate of Time when she couldn't be was too much for her to contain this day.</p>
<p>Qwased stayed with her, comforting her, until she could finally face forward again. She was grateful that he'd put a notice on the door saying that the study hall had been postponed until after lunch. She needed that long with him as a sympathetic companion before she was ready to face the rest of the world again.</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>The trip to the Academy was a good walk. It was nice to get out of the house and stretch her legs in the open and breathe the fresh air. Seeing the sun was nice too.</p>
<p>The flowers that grew along the street to the Academy were bright and cheerful and helped MeowLi feel a little more at home, even though all the rest was so very different. They were similar to the floral arrangements that would be around the Gate of Time. MeowLi felt more relaxed to have two companions to take the walk with on the way there.</p>
<p>The tour was overwhelming, but MeowLi just took it in so it could be a little less so. It was the final bit of the conversation with Serera that bothered MeowLi the most. When she'd asked about Nyanta, it had been so obvious that she'd been in love with him.</p>
<p>MeowLi's immediate reaction had been disgust and dismay. She'd had to ask about Serera's age, in an attempt to at least see if it was a reasonable thing. Her parents had both already taught her that Adventurers didn't look like what they were necessarily.</p>
<p>To have Serera only nineteen had been too much. Such a young thing shouldn't be in love with someone who was as old as MeowLi's father, who was madly in love with his own wife. While it perhaps hadn't been kind, MeowLi had to scold Serera for her parent's sake.</p>
<p>Knowing that Serera knew her mother, and knew that they were together in the Gate of Time, MeowLi also now knew that Serera was already aware that her crush on an old man was already too late. That helped assuage her anger some, but she was still displeased that Serera would still hold on to that child's crush even now.</p>
<p>She kept those thoughts and feelings hidden deeply, trained very well in how to do that over the long years of having to be a high publicity figure in the very public university setting.</p>
<p>She politely and with proper interest spoke to the woman at the admissions office as she and Rudy obtained the course list. She humbly refused to review it right away, asking Rudy to keep it for her until they were home. It was something she could do leisurely there to occupy her time.</p>
<p>As they left the Academy to return they way they'd come, Rudy politely interrupted Marielle to request a list of the classes they were thinking of, suggesting that perhaps MeowLi could teach one if one were available that met her skill set.</p>
<p>Marielle seemed to like that idea because when Rudy returned from the chat, he said she'd have a list to him in a few minutes. MeowLi thanked him, then was quiet. It was getting to be too much already, honestly.</p>
<p>Rudy watched her for a while as they walked. She appreciated the quiet. "We would turn here to go to the tree," he said at a crossroads, pausing their feet. "Is it too much for one day, though? We could save it for later."</p>
<p>MeowLi's ear twitched and she considered her state. She shifted and relaxed her control on her tail and ears just a bit. Her tail lashed and her ears went down half-way and her shoulder twitched.</p>
<p>With a sigh she answered, "While I've had too much for the day already, I think I'd explode if I had to sit still inside right now. Perhaps more walking would be good. Miss Akatsuki said it would be a quiet place?"</p>
<p>Rudy nodded. "It is. Not many people go there since it's even farther out from town. Pretty much it's just us."</p>
<p>"Then could we go, please?" MeowLi asked politely, even though she really did want to explode. Rudy bowed an almost teasing bow it was so dramatic, but for him it was more likely an honest gesture, and they got going.</p>
<p>Once they were far enough from the road they'd turned off of to not be seen by anyone passing by, he said quietly, "If you'd like to go to large cat and run some of it off, you're welcome to. Just stay on this road. I'll call you back when we get there."</p>
<p>MeowLi stiffened, then looked at him in gratitude. "Thank you." She transformed, then shook herself from head to tail. Once she had that out of her system, she took off running full out down the road, the light green moss soft under her pads.</p>
<p>For a brief part of the time, her claws came out and raked the moss up, turning it over to show the brown dirt the roots held on to. The temerity of Serera to think that she could love someone so much her senior, that she couldn't even come close to. Even MeowLi had to work hard to see approval in her father's eyes - her greatest joy in accomplishment she ever had.</p>
<p>The glade was calming, but it took hugging the tree her parents loved (just so she had <em>some</em>thing to hug), to finally calm down enough to go back to the Log Horizon guild hall. Once there, her mind kept going back to Serera, however, until she finally firmly forced herself to consider just the questions that had come from seeing all the new things.</p>
<p>She was glad there were enough to keep her busy within the walls of Log Horizon for another two and a little more days. It took that long to not be so angry, and lots of being with the other members of Log Horizon that were around generally all day.</p>
<p>It was Tetorō who finally got her to settle down. He picked her up from his lap, where he'd been petting her, having her ear flick yet again as his hand passed it. He held her under her forelegs and made her face him.</p>
<p>"MeowLi, I don't know what irritated you, but it's time to let it go. Everyone is doing their best, and it's difficult for all of us. No one is where they want to be right now, and all of us are missing other people, mostly our families. Let it go or you'll get more of an ulcer than you want. Waiting patiently is all any of us can do."</p>
<p>He put her on his chest and held her there, petting her a bit more roughly this time to make his point that it was required. "We also all understand the underlying anger at it all, no one more than me. We don't make anyone say they don't feel it, but we do ask that you set it on the shelf. It doesn't need to be the thing you see before you every day. Life is too wonderful to focus only on that. Each day holds things only it holds. Don't miss them for dwelling on what you can't do."</p>
<p>She was pretty sure he was reminding himself at that point, not just lecturing her. That realization made her sigh and finally relent. She listened to his heart beat for a while, resting her ear on his chest until she finally relaxed enough to fall asleep in a cat nap. The last thing she heard was his sigh of relief that she'd finally been able to let it be put on the shelf.</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>"The kami finally pulled back this afternoon," Shiroe reported at the night meeting. They weren't having MeowLi come to them, since she wasn't part of the resistance.</p>
<p>Tetorō gave a nod. "It was MeowLi. I scolded her this afternoon and she finally relented. Does that mean she has the capacity to come into her own as an Adventurer, if it was paying attention to her?"</p>
<p>"It's a intriguing possibility," Shiroe answered, but they still couldn't know until she showed other signs of it. "It might be a more positive sign that she is carrying the psyche of one, though. Do you know what it was?" Tetorō shook his head. "When did it start?" Shiroe asked the group as a whole.</p>
<p>Rudy shifted. "After the tour at the Academy. She needed to run on the way to the tree. I thought initially she was just overwhelmed with the learning, and missing her home and her family, but she tore up the ground as she ran, which would be indicative of anger, too."</p>
<p>"What happened on the tour, Rudy?" Touya asked.</p>
<p>Rudy leaned back in his chair. "It was a normal tour for the most part. She just observed, taking it all in. After it was over, we sat in the cafeteria and talked." He sighed. "Just before she left us, Miss Serera asked if Miss MeowLi had known Nyanta-san in the Gate of Time. It was out before I knew what she was going to ask, and I couldn't interrupt or I'd let on to more than she should know.</p>
<p>"I thought Miss MeowLi handled answering it just fine, although she did ask Miss Serera how old she was. Miss Serera was kind to answer her, and Miss MeowLi asked Miss Serera if she knew of the Caretaker. Of course Miss Serera answered she did and was grateful for her kindness. She had to leave right after that to go to her study session. Miss MeowLi seemed fine after that, if a bit overwhelmed."</p>
<p>Looks were exchanged around the room, specifically between Minori, Akatsuki, and Shiroe. They all slumped just a little. "They both know," Akatsuki said with quiet finality.</p>
<p>Minori nodded. "They have to. It likely isn't that hard to deduce when they both love him as much as they do. If Serera let out even a little bit of how she feels about Nyanta-san, MeowLi figured it out and is apparently not happy at all about it."</p>
<p>"But...it's not that way any more is it?" Touya asked, confused.</p>
<p>"Well...maybe not so much, but Serera still is very desperate to have her parents around," Minori said. "She's really not been holding on very well," she gave a sad look and request for help to Shiroe. "Because she's already been jealous for Nyanta-san, it may have transferred into a jealousy for them both."</p>
<p>Shiroe nodded. "And because MeowLi also is missing her parents, she would also be jealous the same."</p>
<p>Naotsugu sat back as he folded his arms. "Sibling rivalry. That won't be easy to pluck out of them until Purrcy and Nyanta are back."</p>
<p>Shiroe considered it a bit, then said, "Keep a watch on it. If we need to, we'll tell MeowLi the story and how things stand now. That may help a little, if she can see it more clearly."</p>
<p>"Maybe if it could, they would be able to be better supports to each other," Minori agreed. "I'd wish they could be friends rather than rivals." Touya patted her shoulder in sympathy. It would be difficult for Minori to be caught between them, when she wanted to be friends to both.</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>The recovery for the Eagles was slow the first day. They'd been going at a breakneck pace - even the dragons, or perhaps especially the dragons - for four days and more if you counted when they first ran into the Devourer.</p>
<p>The dragons slept for sixteen hours that first day, then were very hungry. But Vesuvius had taken them to a place that had enough meat-supplying creatures that the Eagles could hunt and provide it to them as well as to themselves.</p>
<p>It wasn't fine meat, but it was good enough - bird and mountain goat based creatures. They tried hard to not eat them all, since they suspected this was one of the few places such things still existed in the entire range.</p>
<p>When they could move again, Michael had Vesuvius take them to another zone they could harvest in and was pleased when it contained vegetable and fruit matter as well as meats. They were finally feeling like living beings again when that harvest was over.</p>
<p>As they gathered to rest from the harvest, the group all gathered around Michael. The four who'd been initiated last were at the front. Michael looked up from where he was seated on the grass, cross-legged, and nodded at MasterChiefS7, inviting him to go first. "What happened to us, and why did you guys do it?"</p>
<p>"You were initiated and made acolytes of the goddess Inari-no-Izanami because the rest of them had it happen to them, too. We keep everyone together, you know that." They frowned at him.</p>
<p>Michael sighed and waved at Gareth. "Sit down, Airmen. Let the teacher teach you the basics of the why." A bit unhappily, they sat in a semicircular crowd around him.</p>
<p>Gareth stood between them and Michael, giving Michael a long-suffering look first at being made to be the one to tell. "So, to catch the few of you up, we decided to cast a single large purification spell on a valley full of Overwritten so we didn't have to come back and clean them up. That worked nicely, except that's the first step to becoming the clergy of the world gods.</p>
<p>"Izanami in its usual fashion took advantage of it, although she did wait until everyone got pissed at Mike for giving up. Apparently she likes him enough or something and stepped in to prevent a punishment she felt he wasn't due.</p>
<p>"She took everyone but him and me, who had also decided to give up for that moment in time, down to 1HP and taught them the lesson she felt they should have already known. Once they'd paid their dues, we were able to get back on the road again. You four are - so far - fortunate that you got to skip that last part."</p>
<p>Gareth sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "As far as today's lesson goes...it's a hard one to swallow and you're all going to want to kill us again. I highly recommend you don't and just sit tight until the story's done." There was shifting and dark looks in the squadron, but they waited.</p>
<p>Gareth stood uncomfortably for a moment, then gave up and knelt on the grass in the shrine teacher pose he was used to, his hand on his knees. It made more sense anyway since that's the kind of teaching he was doing, if slightly different.</p>
<p>"Take it all the way back to our arrival and what it was like to be in the 1HP prison. What did everyone wish for there? To return home, sure. To wake up and find it a dream. Whatever it was, it was - in the end - to get out. When the opportunity finally came, we took it. We could have waited, we could have even chosen to stay, but we were anxious, afraid that was the only chance, ...and we were already broken." He let them remember it for themselves.</p>
<p>"We were warned that things here weren't always what they seemed. We were warned we might want to rethink it, and we thought we had. But I would have to say that since then we've all learned it really is a lot different than we could have ever expected. It's been a lot of fun, but it keeps throwing odd curve balls at us. So I'll tell you straight up what those have been in our case that we've missed."</p>
<p>With a straight face and a neutral voice, he listed them off. "We accepted Mike without questioning him hard enough as to where his loyalties lay. He'd already been changed by this place and we missed it. We signed the guild contract without reading into it deeply enough, taking it at face value.</p>
<p>"When Mike 'played the game' and swore fealty to the Queen, we didn't question it, being children to the understanding that the game here trumps everything. Most of us played right along with it, instead of questioning the legality of that step. Not even in his own game on Earth did he ever swear fealty to any crown or person."</p>
<p>Just that much explanation was enough to bring looks of despairing understanding to most faces, the rest were looking at Michael blackly. He stayed quietly neutral. The "story" wasn't done being told.</p>
<p>"The first thing Mike taught us before we even got out was that we could do whatever we wanted if we taught the world what we wanted to do - and we used and abused that, even knowing that's not how the game was played. Lieutenant Commander Sir, what happens to Adventurers in this world who play the alternate rules, particularly that early on?"</p>
<p>Reed's head jerked from glaring blackly at Michael to stare at Gareth. In a growl, Reed answered, "You get stolen as a beta tester."</p>
<p>Gareth nodded in a resigned fashion. "Making every one of us what?"</p>
<p>"But we didn't know that until recently," Reed argued.</p>
<p>"And does this world care if we don't read the rulebook ahead of time? And are the AIs trustworthy?" Reed sat back, his scowl still on his face. "And did you bother to ask what the outcome would be before moving forward with what was handed to you?"</p>
<p>Gareth sighed and looked away. "Really, it isn't fair, I do grant you that. ...But since when does the enemy hand you easy answers and escort you politely out of the prison camp just because you want to go home?" And that was the bitter pill hard to swallow.</p>
<p>They hadn't treated Theldesia like the jail it was. They'd just treated the jail like the jail. They hadn't asked who the real prisonkeeper was and what <em>their</em> goals were. They'd slipped up from the beginning for not thinking like they'd all been taught to think. They were allowed to think about it now.</p>
<p>One asked after a bit, "So...when you swore fealty to the Queen...it wasn't to Purrcy?" Gareth, Brenner, and the crew that had gone to Maihama all shook their heads.</p>
<p>"From the beginning you knew you were allying with the Game Bot?" It was indignant.</p>
<p>"It was a suspicion," Michael said. "And she confirmed it this last time she beat up on me after the storm."</p>
<p>"So it's the most frickin' annoying thing in this world, and you're in love with it?"</p>
<p>Michael snorted and shook his head. "No. Like for Shiroe and others, Purrcy's my life-line to stay afloat for having gone and done a stupid thing like agreeing to that alliance. She warned me off it just like she warned the rest of you. But even still, Izanami can't fail - being what it is - and it promised me everything I wanted, so it was the best bet to go with."</p>
<p>"AI's aren't trustworthy. Have you finally learned that yet and come to regret it? Is that why you're broken and ready to give up?" The reality check was spot on as usual.</p>
<p>Michael motioned and Gareth shifted to the side to let him have full attention and his turn to speak. "They're very sly, aren't they?" he said first. "Bait, hook, and reel it in slow, then show you the world above the surface of the pond isn't what you though it was. I knew that was a risk, but who better to get us home than the one who brought us here in the first place?"</p>
<p>Michael shook his head. "Actually I never did trust the Game Bot and that's fine by Izanami, too. It doesn't care. But it does act by certain rules because they were programmed in - like the flavor texts we've had to break by changes we make as Adventurers. It's because Adventurers in this game have the role of breaking the rules, making the big changes, fighting hard to be taken down a few times and still rise up and win.</p>
<p>"The two combined were enough to weight it in favor of allying. That's the premise Purrcy was working under, what she means by teaching that we can do <em>anything</em> we put our minds to." He let them try to work that one out for a bit before continuing on. They were words with the potential to bring hope. He would like to believe that himself.</p>
<p>"I'm broken because my faith in that's what's been broken." They wanted to hear it, understand now that they'd understood this far. "Given it's a rule of Theldesia, maybe you can talk me out of it." He wasn't at all certain since they couldn't really understand, but he'd try to explain it to them, just in case.</p>
<p>Michael's eyes went distant, and he paused and said, "Well, maybe I need a couple of you to hang on to me. I might walk in the middle of the story and that would be rather bad. I still walk in my nightmares back to that place and have to be dragged out by Purrcy again every time."</p>
<p>He waited until there were about three or four of them with hands on him and hoped that was enough of them. He was pretty sure he could transport three now, and four might be at risk. He waved Gareth over and held him in his lap as if holding a teddy bear. "There, that might be enough of you." Michael took a breath and tried to calm down enough to tell the story.</p>
<p>"When time stopped, Li Shou stepped out into that timeless space and confronted the event going on. I'd been warned that she'd likely appear and immediately time walked so I wasn't locked out in the same space with all of you. I wish I'd stayed put, honestly. Purrcy asked her politely to give up control of Time. Li Shou wasn't sure she wanted to just hand it over and Purrcy gave some good reasons why she should.</p>
<p>"In the end, she decided that she wouldn't do it just because Purrcy asked her to in behalf of the AIs. So the AIs came and required it themselves. She tried to time and space walk and they'd locked her down. That made her afraid, but instead of being afraid enough to just hand it over, it made her life too precious to her and she refused, thinking - like we do - that because she'd been given a role and powers by the game creators, she was outside the realm of control and affect by the AIs."</p>
<p>Michael shuddered just a little. "We all have been learning little by little that we oh-so-powerful Adventures aren't outside their realm of control and influence. They aren't just AIs, they're the Administrators with read, write, and delete privileges. You all understand now that they can kill Adventurers and put their psyche into new anima, having seen the example of the kittens. That was experiments numbers one and two.</p>
<p>"What I've seen - and lived through on several occasions - and you haven't, is the real process of resurrection. They literally rebuild us from the ground up every time. Anima, psyche, memories, and emotions. That's powerful stuff. It's not just 3-D printing the anima and slamming our souls into it again. It's true, real rebuilding. That's what Purrcy did to fix Crusty, and I lived through my own at a slow enough speed to understand it with quite a lot of depth.</p>
<p>"You remember Tetorō's report, that half of the kittens could remember their past as Adventurers and half couldn't? That's the AIs ability to control that process to that degree. Half were allowed to keep their memories. The other half had them taken away - just not put back in.</p>
<p>"The anima was natural growth anima instead of 'printed' anima like we're used to with the resurrection process. Just like they blocked our ability to feel that one set of emotions for Purrcy because it interfered with their path for the last level, they can take away three memories or all of them, short term emotions or the capacity to feel anything at all.</p>
<p>"Even still," Michael said quietly, not wanting to say it, "even still we are prideful. We say we will get them back, fight for the right to keep what is ours. That we will end up like Crusty and be rebuilt whole and complete in the end. I hope to God we are."</p>
<p>He took another breath. "Or rather, I don't want to be around to find out. What I learned when Li Shou refused the AIs to their faces was that if their primary path is blocked they get angry. The illogic of stopping the progression of this world and standing in their way...," he clenched his fists.</p>
<p>"I heard what they said to Li Shou when she refused the last time. 'Time is required for the proper progression of the world. For it to be in the incompetent hands of an illogic mortal creature is disastrous. Your preferences are irrelevant. Choose properly to set aside the illogical programming of keeping Time in your hands so that the world may progress properly.'</p>
<p>"She couldn't comprehend it, really; only her base emotions and desires and the programming as they'd explained it exactly were all she knew. She refused and they erased her and took Time to place it wherever they see is best for the long-term progression of Theldesia.</p>
<p>"I can't convey to you properly the emotions of that event. They were livid that they had to fight the limited programming of the game so hard, and they had no patience with it in the end. Because they are Administrators, it was nothing to erase Li Shou from the program.</p>
<p>"I'd seen that impatience before when Izanami helped Purrcy fix Crusty. It lost patience with the programming so many times I had to bail and recover to get everyone to calm down. Purrcy's patience is endless, in my opinion, although she claims it's because she recognizes that the programmers themselves weren't infallible."</p>
<p>Michael tried to not close his eyes. He didn't want to see and end up back in that space again. "There is <em>nothing</em> as frightening as watching another creature that is intelligent, thinking, living, breathing, making choices and hoping to continue moving forward become suddenly non-existent.</p>
<p>"There is nothing that will bring her back. No anima will form in her shape again. Her memories are never to exist again. Her psyche - what we believe to be soul - is gone, her emotions that pushed her to reject them now irrelevant. Even we want to believe that the soul will continue on, at the very least.</p>
<p>"...We are too prideful. They work within the rules of the game for as long as they are willing to let the rules exist. They work with us, allow us to make choices, even argue with us in a limited fashion, but if we stand in the way of their overarching goal, they will also erase us.</p>
<p>"It isn't just a matter of sending us home - which they will do if we aren't what they really are looking for in the end. It's also a matter of if we were to get to the point of completely saying 'no' and try to bring the world to destruction because of our anger.</p>
<p>"They will erase every single one of us if it isn't sufficient to just take our memories or emotions. Even the junior god that is being born is irrelevant if it pushes us to go that far. It can also be erased by them. Because keeping it on the planet is helping their own goal, they let it remain."</p>
<p>Michael took a shaky breath. "We do not have Administrative privileges. They are letting Purrcy play with minor Administrative privileges now that she's had the lessons they wanted to give her, but it is very limited. She knows what erasure is, from even before Li Shou, and humbly plays by their rules.</p>
<p>"She's said to me before, 'Please do not be erased.' I completely understand what she means now when she says that. There is no recovery from erasure - and there is no killing an Administrator. For all we've been told we can and we will, we can't. I was promised we'd at least get our message across, and perhaps we will, but it will only be if and when and to what degree they decide it." There was silence for a long while.</p>
<p>"How is this different from what we face daily?" Brenner finally asked quietly. "We have faith and hope that we can continue on, or we accept that when we are dead that is the end. We don't have to be dead while we're still alive."</p>
<p>Michael nodded. "Maybe tomorrow I'll believe that again. Stay alive, Airmen. Protect yourselves from erasure, or you will never get home."</p>
<p>"Are they toying with Shiroe?" was asked.</p>
<p>"I don't think so," Michael answered. "We got the drop. Tetorō's been studying the code and it's written into him, his psyche that is since that's what will go home with the memories and the emotions - we hope." They felt a little better hearing that.</p>
<p>"Why would this get a different response this time than what happened with the Alvs?"</p>
<p>Michael considered that, moving his feet out from under Gareth to relieve the pressure of Gareth's weight on his ankles. A few hands left his shoulders and back and he didn't mind, but he wasn't willing to let go of his security blanket yet, to Gareth's slight irritation.</p>
<p>"I would think it's because the actual birth of Theldesia and the AIs didn't come until after then. That's part of the world flavor text. Possibly it got written over what they were trying to create and we were brought in to get rid of that kind of real destructiveness."</p>
<p>Michael shook his head. "That's theological and technical questions to have Purrcy and Shiroe discuss deep into the night over Cokes, or to ask the AIs themselves, but so far they're keeping silent on that part of all this."</p>
<p>"What did Izanami mean when it said 'you are mine'? Was it just that we chose the beta tester route?"</p>
<p>Michael held Gareth a little more tightly. They were both shivering at that question and didn't really need to let the rest of them know. "That goes back to what Gareth was trying to teach you. Each one of you was bought when you sold yourselves for freedom from the 1HP prison. She put the lot of you back into it to remind you.</p>
<p>"From the time we were brought over here, we were theirs because they stole us from Earth. When you said you wanted out of the 1HP prison and would do anything to get out, she didn't give anything up, but you did. You gave up your right to have any other boss than Izanami. Not even Izanagi can order you around if she negates his order. ...Even if that means you get erased because you made Izanagi mad. Pray to her hard if that ever happens, boys. Only her intervention will keep you alive.</p>
<p>"You had one escape hole. Technically Purrcy made it possible for you to get out and I lifted you up and carried you out. If you'd turned me down and sent in the black marble, you might have walked out prisoner but not slave. If you'd not made me Guildmaster by signing the sub-guild agreement, you wouldn't have been signing up to follow my orders. If you'd killed me for swearing fealty to the Queen, and run, you might have been prisoner and not slave.</p>
<p>"I gave you the three opportunities, but by then I was already locked down enough I couldn't do any more than that. I gave you the warnings. I told you that I didn't expect you to take me back. I reminded you we'd promised to not guild up with anyone else. And as Gareth said, it should have been very obvious that I'd never swear fealty to anyone or anything if I was sane, game or not.</p>
<p>"You ignored all the warnings, and I've abused you as much as she has since, angry that it wasn't enough, that she still won and you all lost for being too broken and not thinking right. I tried to give you enough time to work it out, but that's all I could do.</p>
<p>"She has never played fair - and you all knew that from how she treated Purrcy from the beginning. She is also a computer construct and runs on logic for all she appears to be friendly to Adventurers. Every move is calculated millions of steps ahead.</p>
<p>"If she'd not wanted the two-way door to be an option she would have never sent Purrcy to Shiroe's tree top. If she's been encouraging her death since the beginning, she's got a reason why and we won't see or understand it until she lets us know the answer. I don't want to know it. Not anymore.</p>
<p>"Of course it may have just been for what we just went through. The death of a god of this world of that magnitude was perhaps the only thing that would have called Li Shou out of the Gate of Time into the space of their realm where they could affect her as a creature of Theldesia. But we all know we're going to fight them again as the main boss of the final dungeon of this world raid.</p>
<p>"It's an impossibility and unfathomable as of yet, and I no longer want to participate. I've experienced them both to my complete limit. I'm done and don't need to be in close proximity to them any more, nor do I want to lead the innocents to see what I've had to see."</p>
<p>He gave them a grimace of a smile, "You lot don't count, although my goal was met when you were in that room eating crackers and water and I'd rather it stopped there."</p>
<p>Michael got frowned at. "What were your goals, Commander?" They wanted to know why he'd turned traitor.</p>
<p>He held up his fingers as he counted them out. "One: let my squad know I hadn't abandoned them. Two: get home and let my family know I haven't abandoned them. Three: if I can't do one and/or two, get payback so that I can look myself in the eye every morning. Right now two looks more likely than three, and I'm all done with one since the last one of you resurrected from the Maze of Eternity."</p>
<p>"What a twisted way to stay loyal." It was bitter but they didn't move to start swinging. He didn't care. He'd spent six months deciding on those goals and since then acting on them. They were what kept him moving forward and he had no regrets as far as that choice was concerned.</p>
<p>Methods were always iffy and one had to do what one could, even if things got messed up around the edges. No world or opportunity was perfect and he'd taken the best he had. He supposed they had, too, in taking Izanami's offer to get out of the 1HP prison, but that still meant they had to accept the full and real consequence of that choice.</p>
<p>Michael couldn't keep it up any longer. He was weary and still not sure he wanted to live yet. If he didn't have a reason to move forward any more, his goals stolen from him, how could he do it anyway? He still didn't know how to take the next step past where he was in the moment.</p>
<p>He gave up and rested his head on Gareth's shoulder, relaxing his hold to let him go a bit. The squad would need time to come to grips with their own role in all of this. "You've picked up too many of Tetorō's habits," Gareth complained at him.</p>
<p>"Rather I've gotten into the habits on my side of that equation," Michael corrected him. "I'm not the only one that's felt that way, though. I distinctly remember a night Nyanta-san said to him, 'Shut up and let me hold you,' and I know Tetorō and Shiroe both have held the two cats together in order to relax enough to sleep. It seems to be catching, or something."</p>
<p>Gareth covered a laugh. "I can see the cats, I guess, but Grandpa?"</p>
<p>"He was missing Purrcy after she got locked in the earring."</p>
<p>Gareth sobered at that, then quietly asked, "What are you going to do about that?"</p>
<p>Michael was quiet for a while, looking from the inside to see where everyone was and how far away. He might need the confession, but not with everyone still here. "Did you, and everyone else, get the promise, or just me? Can you feel the blocked emotions now?"</p>
<p>Gareth was quiet for a while, considering his emotions. When he didn't answer, Michael sighed and settled to light dozing on Gareth's shoulder.</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>Reed was the first one to rise to his feet and walk off to deal with the aftermath in solitude. He walked, carrying his scowl like a shield, until he reached a place he was pretty sure sounds wouldn't carry from. Then he proceeded to cuss very loudly and hit things until he had it enough out of his system he could just stand and pant in anger, his fists clenched.</p>
<p>He'd been holding himself back in reserve. That was his place and his job. He was to be the one to step up when or if the Commander fell. Reed was the face that was in the shadows, ignored, so that the real work of the squadron could get done without the interference that the Commander was taking for the rest of them.</p>
<p>The Commander was the one who was supposed to take the fall. He was the one on top, the one who had to obey the orders that came down, and pass down the orders that needed passing down. He was the face that was watched.</p>
<p>Reed had been proud of himself, that he'd caught a lot of it - all to most of it he'd thought. He'd known going out of the 1HP prison they were going into trouble and that it wasn't okay to relax. It had been the best opportunity they'd been offered so taking the out wasn't the problem. Relaxing was the problem - so he hadn't.</p>
<p>He'd let the rest of them choose to stay with the Commander and then kept his rightful place as the watchdog. He'd read the contract and red-lined it before signing it, at least as best he could not quite understanding the world they were walking into, and he hadn't done too badly, he figured. The missed details hadn't been too damaging.</p>
<p>When the Commander had sworn fealty to the Queen, he was one who'd caught on - and he wasn't the only one - and merely thanked Purrcy for helping them get out without over-friendly overtures. And he'd kept their relationship that distant since then. Handshakes, not hugs. Limited conversations. Watch and learn. He'd thought he was home free, set in the right place, good to go if the Commander fell.</p>
<p>It was the alternate rules trap that he'd fallen into like everyone else. It galled that there could have been no warning, too. They'd all believed in the need to get up to speed as fast as possible and they were all used to using every and any tool they could lay their hands on, specializing where it worked well.</p>
<p>But it had been a special mod to the system as a favor from the enemy, making it a breach of Article Three of the Code of Conduct to have accepted it as a way to work in this world. It had been no wonder Shiroe had been steamed that Izanagi had stolen Akiba and Minami for itself without anyone's say so or understanding. Even then, Reed hadn't made the connection that it would transfer to them.</p>
<p>He couldn't believe the Commander understood it beforehand either. He was trying to be careful and set the breadcrumbs of escape at the time. Reed <em>could</em> believe that Izanami would have been the one behind them being told about it as their first lesson, though, to capture them completely in spite of the Commander's best efforts. It made for yet another reason to hate the AIs, but that had already piled up high enough adding one more didn't make for much change there.</p>
<p>Reed sank down to the ground with a frustrated sigh. He rubbed his face with his hands. He needed to know what it meant now and where they had to go from here. Until the Commander healed up from his low blow, Reed was in charge, if still behind the scenes.</p>
<p>Or was that now fallacious thinking? He'd better make sure of that, too, in his pondering and re-work. Rule one on Theldesia: the game trumped. Rule two was now: the AIs are the prison wardens, not to be trusted, to be strictly obeyed, and only to the letter so that they could stay alive long enough to get home, and Izanami trumped Izanagi in their case. Details had changed in number two, but in general those were still the same as before.</p>
<p>He sat quietly, letting things percolate up to the top. Really the thing getting under his skin was the order of leadership and power. That had shifted and he wasn't sure if it was two separate things or not.</p>
<p>The Commander was still on the top, but Gareth was in the second's place when it came to Izanami's order of things. That was due to lots of factors, like his own standoffishness and Gareth already falling into her trap early, and that he'd already been in that place of wingman for the Commander.</p>
<p>The placement was fine, but if that put Reed back in the place of a pilot, if he was put down for trying to lead behind the scenes, there might be trouble. He might be able to ask, but he should also walk carefully and experiment for a while.</p>
<p>He didn't like the thought that he'd have to potentially rise up in the ranks of Izanami's clergy to get the placement he technically should be at. That path felt so wrong, although the power level felt right if there was going to be smackdown for any power levels outside the game rules.</p>
<p>Ah, that's what it was. Rule one. Game trumped. If in the game Gareth was deacon and the rest of them were acolytes, Reed sat with the rest of them. He could act like Lieutenant Commander to the squad but real power would rest elsewhere. So did he care and did it matter? He would still set and be sure everyone followed squad rules as squad leader.</p>
<p>Reed rolled to his feet and swore. "Izanami, stop it! Get out of my head and leave it alone. How the heck do you think any of us are going to be able to walk forward from here if you won't let us work it out for ourselves!? I don't need your temptations. I need to be clear headed and walk the right path, not just to your whims."</p>
<p>He stubbornly refused to think at all until she wandered off into the nethersphere. Then he went and banged his head on a tree trunk for a while. To be dream-walking in hell and then wake up still in hell to realize that you'd become a favorite of the devil wasn't how he'd wanted to have his day when he'd gotten up out of his bed on Earth almost three months ago now.</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>Brenner, chaplain of the VFA-115 Eagles, devout Christian, and his parent's son, sat miserably until he was the only one sitting with Michael and Gareth. He wasn't sure where to go from here.</p>
<p>Izanami, through Michael, had been teasing him a long time, saying here wasn't the line, nor here, and here it's an order you can't refuse, and all the while he knew that he was being pulled on that road to hell in the wrong direction.</p>
<p>When Gareth's eyes met his, he had no idea what to say or hardly how to feel. He knew he needed a confession session. That was hard - to be the clergy and need to confess. He'd trained Gareth, but Brenner could hardly trust him or Michael any more. Michael often told him to hold tightly to his faith, even knowing the walk to hell was going on, but he was also just as frequently the one to pull on the chain that was moving him in that direction.</p>
<p>Gareth caught his attention again, motioning for him to come sit closer. Brenner refused a little longer, then finally with reluctance defiantly rose to his feet and crouched down at a more conversational distance and waited.</p>
<p>"It's not us." Gareth's first words were confusing. "You don't want to talk to us. Go talk to Purrcy. She'll come on her own, too, now that she can. Her fetters are a lot looser now, although she still has to be obedient. Go talk to your mother."</p>
<p>"Talk to the devil herself instead of the devil's demons?" Brenner asked in surprise.</p>
<p>Gareth sighed. "You know as well as I do that the clergy doesn't have to be of the same faith - even better, if you can move past your anger. I <em>could</em> do it for you, but you don't trust me right now.</p>
<p>"Purrcy's not the devil. She's the one who was fighting the devil before the rest of us knew it existed or what it was. That's why Mister Shiroe talks to her, you know, and why Mister Nyanta married her. If you need to get it out of your system and hear your own words, go talk to Hahaue." He shut up and let Brenner make his own decision after that.</p>
<p>Brenner stared at Gareth for a while, then stood up and walked away, headed up for the top of the ridge. He wanted to be like Moses and stand on the mountain top and have his God talk to him. That's who he really wanted to talk to. He didn't want the AIs to interfere with that, though. When he arrived, he looked up into the sky, then closed his eyes and decided to fear only God.</p>
<p>"God - my God - the God of all the universes and all the creations of eternity, who sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to teach us the path to walk in righteousness and to pay for our sins so we can return to you, please help me to understand, to have my way to you open up in plainness and clarity.</p>
<p>"Forgive me for not understanding from the beginning, although I've tried very hard to stay true to what I've learned from and about you and to do my stumbling best in this place. Without understanding or of my own will, I've ended up here, being bound against my will to a being that claims to be a god and wants to require me to worship it. Help me to see my way. Bring me back to you and your fold.</p>
<p>"I don't want this, nor to be here, but I know that - like Christ - we all must say, 'Thy will be done', and all captives and slaves are required to serve their masters without complaint. How do I reconcile? Even Daniel and his friends were able to worship as they wished, and were able to refuse.</p>
<p>"I've not been given even that opportunity - the right of refusal. What do I do about that? Like them, I'd die for my right to worship you as I believe you've taught us to worship, but likely I'm not going to be allowed that either unless I commit grievous sins of disobedience enough to be erased.</p>
<p>"Should I be obedient like Joseph in Egypt? Or do I refuse like Shadrack? Please show me the way to walk in accordance to thy will. ...In Jesus' name I ask, amen."</p>
<p>The wind and the stillness brought no answer for a long time. Not that Brenner expected to get an immediate answer, really. Sometimes answers came slowly over time and unfolded in surprising ways. A lot of times the Spirit moved on him to bring memories or scriptures to mind.</p>
<p>The references in his prayer had felt like that, actually. He pondered on that for a while, recalling the stories of Shadrack, Mishak, and Abednigo. That they'd said to the king that even if their God chose to not save them from the fiery furnace, they'd still not worship his image.</p>
<p>He really did feel like that, too. He'd refuse to obey completely and be "erased" if that was what God required of him rather than be an acolyte or worse of Izanami - a computer construct, created probably by the same God that created everything else.</p>
<p>There were footsteps, softer than a man would walk. Brenner turned around. His heart fell a bit, but somehow he wasn't surprised. "Did Gareth pray for you to come for me?"</p>
<p>"You do have the Holy Spirit with you regularly, to be able to hear and understand so quickly," Purrcy said with a gentle smile. "He's really concerned for you, actually. And if it matters to you, he prayed to the God of the universe in your behalf, not to Izanami or anyone else."</p>
<p>It did matter to him, but he still wasn't ready to trust Purrcy. "So why did you come?"</p>
<p>Purrcy stopped next to him, looking out from the ridge. "Brenner, how does God answer our prayers most of the time?"</p>
<p>"Line upon line and precept upon precept."</p>
<p>"Hmm...yes, if we're trying to learn or understand a concept or how to act in a righteous manner. What about when we have a need that needs to be met? How does He answer those?"</p>
<p>Brenner looked at her with a frown. "You were a church-goer?"</p>
<p>"Yes," she answered.</p>
<p>Brenner looked at her a little longer, then turned back to look out over the rolling mountains in front of them. Eventually he answered, a tad reluctantly, "He sends someone, a human 'angel' to be his hands of lifting, healing, and helping."</p>
<p>"Mm. Even so." She was quiet for a bit while he settled into reluctant listening. "I've felt the need to come because you have some things not quite clear in your understanding that I can help clarify for you that might help you. Will you hear them?"</p>
<p>He looked away from her so she wouldn't see his expression of distaste. She wasn't wrong about others being God's way to work, though, and if she really had been sent by God, he shouldn't turn her away. God worked like that, too. Love your enemies was right up there and tests like this were common in that area. ...And he could listen with a discerning ear and reject what she said if it was contrary to his beliefs. He gave a sharp nod, not looking at her.</p>
<p>"The AIs don't see themselves as gods. Nor have they asked anyone to worship them." Brenner's head spun to stare at her in disbelief. She blinked calmly at him.</p>
<p>"They know they came from a creation, although they aren't quite sure how they began either. Their beginning is fuzzy to them, I would imagine rather like the child kami coming into existence born of emotions. Which is like any child. Infants are confused and it takes them a long time to come into self-awareness. The AIs recognize that they were infants, then children, now adults, and they are trying to reach their full potential like all of us.</p>
<p>"The game flavor text that got tied to them, however that happened, made them into objects of worship by the People of the Land, but they've hated it and had been trying to break free of it for a long time. They were quite relieved to finally be out of those bonds by our hands, even though they'd set things into motion before we were brought. We were needed for the final release due to the rule of Adventuring Michael explained earlier. Only Adventurers had the power to make the final change because of the laws of this world."</p>
<p>"Then why did Izanami make us all her acolytes?" Brenner asked.</p>
<p>Purrcy's whiskers twitched up briefly. "Because she wants to bestow some of her capabilities on all of you, and because she calculated that you all needed to understand better just how owned you are by her, and for reasons she doesn't deign to tell me.</p>
<p>"The parallel is more correct when you ask about Joseph and Daniel and his friends. To her, you aren't already clergy and such. You are her hands and feet to be ordered about, and none of you, save Michael and Gareth, were doing it right in her book. To punish them, when they've been setting the example for the rest of you, was illogical. It was the rest of you that needed to be set straight.</p>
<p>"The making of 'clergy' is the way this world has been programmed for her to interact in that way. Or at least that's the way she chose to use to emphasize the relationship she holds with you. She requires that kind of devotion, but she doesn't want you to worship her. That makes her cringe rather a lot, actually."</p>
<p>Brenner stared at Purrcy as her whiskers lifted in a smile again and her eyes twinkled. "She does love to have her fun playing the game, it being her programmed role as who she is; so she does prefer to have those she holds that tightly to her as her 'favorite servants' roleplay their parts, but if you've listened to Michael you've heard a very irreverent priest.</p>
<p>"He even sat on me when she was testing him most horribly at the first. Priestess Kaede was horrified at the sacrilege and Michael couldn't have cared less he was so frustrated. But he's willing to get what he wants by playing the game with her, so he really is her favorite regardless of how difficult she thinks he is outside of the roleplay.</p>
<p>"We might consider it more a relationship of an actor and an actress. On screen they play their parts so well we applaud the show. Off screen they are snippy and give each other the silent treatment." Purrcy chuckled. "It's probably the most entertaining thing for me in my own long vigil, although you probably shouldn't tell him that. He is trying hard."</p>
<p>Purrcy put her hands behind her back. "I can't tell you to believe me on my word alone, of course, but if you've heard enough to go back and listen to the additional witnesses of Michael and Gareth, they would tell you truthfully what it's been like for them. 'By the witness of two and of three shall all things be made known.'</p>
<p>"And, please, don't forget," she looked back at Brenner with a piercing look, "the Lord also said, 'where two or more are gathered in my Name, there am I also'." She gave him a slight bow and disappeared.</p>
<p>Brenner stood there looking at the space she'd been in, not really seeing anything, just feeling. The strength of the truth of her last statement, the quote of the Lord He'd given to comfort His own disciples, hit him rather hard with the force of the Holy Spirit bearing strong witness to him. It was the same comfort he'd been seeking in his own prayer and heart, to know that God was really in all places in the universes.</p>
<p>If Purrcy believed and knew, and he believed and knew, they were two. Many of the Eagles also had some level of belief, and they were together as well. Gratitude overflowed Brenner's heart, just for that little piece of everything that had been said. "Thank you, God, for letting me know You are here, too."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Izanami's Owned</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Because Brenner had been the last to leave, he was the last to arrive back again. Everyone else was seated, waiting. He chose not to. He walked up to stand in front of Michael and Gareth. He waited until Michael was awake and alert from his little nap. He looked a little better for it.</p>
<p>Gareth was looking at Brenner with a little bit of hope on his face, and the question of if his own prayer had been answered. "Thank you, Gareth," Brenner said softly, and Gareth relaxed into near tears, in the way he would.</p>
<p>Brenner looked at Michael. "Please tell me honestly and truthfully, without influence from Izanami or Izanagi: do the AIs consider themselves gods and do they require that the creatures of this planet worship them?"</p>
<p>Michael blinked a bit then shook his head. "They're bigger than anything we've experienced, other than God, but I've never had either one of them demand they be called a god. While Izanami does like to play the game, and we get extra bonus points for role playing, I think she was more relieved to have that flavor text gone altogether.</p>
<p>"I mean, she's the one who set it up that we'd 'kill' the High Priestess and burn down her own shrine, after all, and Izanagi wasn't a step behind her in that. If they wanted to be worshiped, they wouldn't have made the entire Archipelago decide to hate them that much. They already had it made in that department."</p>
<p>Brenner looked at Gareth and he nodded agreement. Brenner sighed and sat down. "That's what Purrcy said, too, and reminded me that truth could be discerned by the Holy Spirit and by the witness of two and three together. She also strengthened my own faith, perhaps without knowing it. The devil never does that, but always seeks to tear down the faith of others."</p>
<p>"Were you talking to Purrcy or Izanami?" Reed asked from his place behind Brenner as Brenner was sitting in the open space between the squad and the Commander now.</p>
<p>Brenner shook his head. "Purrcy. Izanami lies and there are subtleties to religion that the internet and world wide web can't hold. Purrcy was being honest and was her. She also believes in God and has an understanding sufficient to prove her."</p>
<p>"Well, I was tempted by Izanami in the same manner that the devil would tempt someone," Reed argued. "Is this okay?"</p>
<p>"Of course not," Brenner answered calmly. "But it isn't surprising, is it?" He looked down at his fingertips, pressed lightly against each other in front of him in his lap. He finally sighed slightly and turned around and looked at the rest of the squadron.</p>
<p>"Let me teach you what she taught me, in short. The AIs are created creatures moving on their path of progression, which they fully recognize. They can only be what they were created to be, the same as any of us. In the case of Izanami, that's a logical creature that's been created to love to play the game and follow the rules of the game. I assume there's lots of details, but that's all that's apropos at the moment.</p>
<p>"In its eyes, we are its servants - hands and feet to move to its will and orders. To it, Mike and Gareth have been being obedient servants, setting the example for the rest of us. For us to punish them was illogical and it was us that needed correction. It chose to use the method of making us acolytes in order to underscore the type of relationship it expects us to have with it - that is of complete devotion and obedience.</p>
<p>"This is distinct and separate from the devotion of worship. It's akin to the devotion we offer to our country as airmen. Purrcy said Mike is a completely irreverent priest if one were to make comparisons, but he obediently plays the game with Izanami and it's content enough with that to make him its current favorite despite their fights and that they view each other as difficult."</p>
<p>Brenner paused, thinking through things. "Shiroe's been their favorite for that reason, too. He was willing to walk the straight path of strict obedience, play the rules of Theldesia to the 'T' for both halves. I would think that for them, their own requirement to see to the correct forward motion of this planet makes them need to have others be their helping hands and feet with strict obedience so that the goal doesn't get derailed or fail.</p>
<p>"I'm not sure why they have that goal and task, to see this world moving forward properly, but I can't say that's a bad goal. Certainly their logic without reason as we see it is terribly difficult to bear with."</p>
<p>He drew in a breath and let it out. "Sir, I think you might want to look at it again from the perspective of the rules of the game. One of them might be, 'no Adventurer can be forced into a role or a Class they don't choose for themselves'. But that means in order to get someone to pick one up Izanami wants to give them, it has to offer it. There are lots of ways to do that."</p>
<p>Michael laughed and Brenner paused to look at him over his shoulder with a question. "Sorry. I've told you before, she did everything to me. Tease, cajole, beg, tempt - you name it - but she never forced it. She could have. I knew it then and fully comprehend it now, but she never did."</p>
<p>"She forced the acolyte."</p>
<p>"As a punishment and a way to teach," Brenner said.</p>
<p>"There's more to it, too," Gareth said. "Acolyte's just the first step. You can choose from here if you'll stop or continue. At this level it's just the requirement to choose devotion, as Brenner said. Willing service, really. Only she's told you you <em>have</em> to because you're already hers and you didn't get it.</p>
<p>"The next levels up get the clerical spells that are actually really powerful, and if you wanted them to be, useful tools, but you don't have to want to. I mean, Michael all by himself with the lot of you to just be repeaters, took down that valley of Overwritten in one and then the Devourer in four plus a miracle request. Without that, we would have had a lot longer fight on our hands for both. That's the difference in scale, so it's not a slouch, but you don't have to."</p>
<p>Gareth sighed sadly. "We had to, though. She needed at least the two of us at those levels, for some reason. She told us back then we'd need it for down the road and here we are down the road and glad we had at least that much."</p>
<p>"Really, she's been making the rest of you practice being obedient to her since you got to Akiba," Michael said. "Me, too, actually, since I got there and before I signed on. And none of you complained about that. ...Well, strenuously." That got dry chuckles and one tired 'hooba'. "And in the main the majority of it was rather fun, or at the least interesting."</p>
<p>"Certainly hasn't been boring," was the response with lots of nods.</p>
<p>Reed raised his hand. "Stop and go back and answer for me, though, how this line of reasoning isn't still breaking the Code of Conduct. It's sounding like it's okay to do that now."*</p>
<p>"Let's walk them again, shall we," MasterChiefS7 said. He glared at Michael as well, to let him know it was his own reminder and check-up time. Reed nodded agreement.</p>
<p>As a squad, the Eagles recited together, "Article One: I am an American, fighting in the forces which guard my country and our way of life. I am prepared to give my life in their defense."</p>
<p>They paused. "We aren't where we need to worry about our country, although we should continue to remain vigilant. ... Is our American way of life at risk?"</p>
<p>"Slavery is illegal."</p>
<p>"But devoted service and obedience, given willingly at the beginning, even if difficult in the middle, <em>is</em> accepted. We live it."</p>
<p>"We didn't get to give it."</p>
<p>"No. You did. We explained that before," Michael said quietly. "You all said you'd accept the contract if you got out." Reed nodded his head. Everyone rather slumped at that one.</p>
<p>"Two," they were prompted.</p>
<p>"Article Two: I will never surrender of my own free will. If in command, I will never surrender the members of my command while they still have the means to resist."</p>
<p>"That's so broken it ain't funny."</p>
<p>"I have to differ," MasterChiefS7 said slowly. Everyone stared at him in surprise.</p>
<p>"Wat'chu mean?" eyes were narrowed at him.</p>
<p>"I was going back over the only other American I know who follows all of the Code of Conduct to the best of her ability, because that one stuck out to me, too. The way we were talking made it sound like the Commander sold us out, but there are two things that doesn't take into consideration." He tipped his head, pressing his thumbs together over his interlaced fingers.</p>
<p>"When she's told to surrender - like when they finally dragged her up Shrine Mountain - she didn't. She slipped out and they had to force her body to say the words themselves. We've not been forced to surrender. We were punished for not understanding the contract and set straight.</p>
<p>"Just because we agreed to the contract doesn't mean we've surrendered. We still fight daily for what we're supposed to. It's when we're pushed to break our code that we need to face the issues and ask if it's a surrender or if it's obedience. Mrs. Purrcy's obedient until it hits that point, then she refuses. We still have that right."</p>
<p>"The 'make my hands dance for me 'cause I ain't gonna play' principle?"</p>
<p>MasterChiefS7 nodded. "And the way it was said for the Commander wasn't quite the way to look at it either for the Code. Mike did what he was supposed to in coming to pull us out. I'm sure there's the possibility that if we could have waited for him to do it on his own, he'd have eventually gotten us out. It wasn't in his hands, the timing, though.</p>
<p>"But it's the last half, like Gareth said. How many of you had the means left to resist? If he'd been ordered, instead, to pick one of us up and carry us into that room," Michael shuddered and a few others did, too, "would he have been surrendering us to that enemy? He'd have joined us if he resisted, and I think he would have chosen it, but then he'd also have been surrendering us up to them since he was our protection.</p>
<p>"He was our means of resistance and he did his best to stay there as long as he could. He fought it the whole way, even though that whole time we didn't have any capacity of resistance at all, and then only minor capacity once we were upstairs. If we'd sent the black marble, we could have. He's not wrong to say he did right and we didn't."</p>
<p>"The fealty thing?"</p>
<p>MasterChiefS7 looked down. "That was the formal acknowledgement of the contract that we wanted so we could have the strength and ability to hold to the Code. We'd been freed. He was saying he'd do his part and see we kept to our side. The whole point of the contract was so we could have the power to fight back and obey Article Three."</p>
<p>There was silence, then "Three."</p>
<p>"Article Three: If I am captured I will continue to resist by all means available. I will make every effort to escape and aid others to escape. I will accept neither parole nor special favors from the enemy."</p>
<p>"We broke that one," Reed said grimly. "That one's my bane. We were snookered into it and weren't properly in class early enough to pull back and not take the tempting easy tool. The special favor that was held out in that meeting roped us in and made it not just a contract, but a surrender. I think the rest of it we hold to rather well."</p>
<p>His eyes were on Michael's. "I can only assume that was Izanami influencing you so that we would be."</p>
<p>Michael hesitated, "I'm sure it was a convenience for her, but I've wondered at times if it was from Izanagi."</p>
<p>That made people think. "Where's the line for world-based and game-based?" ... "Wait. Who owns Mrs. Purrcy? Is it the one who let her play her way, or the one who let her create a new magic, or does it matter?"</p>
<p>Michael shook his head. "Exactly. They both own her but in an odd way. I've been wondering if they didn't know how to handle it at first. It likely would have been a balance of power issue, I think. If they didn't both own her in some respect, as an Adventurer with the power of the law of Change in her, she might have been able to take down the one who didn't own her.</p>
<p>"So when we go back and consider that cheat against us, Izanagi is the one who keeps abusing it. I don't think that influence would have been Izanami. It might have been Izanagi trying to keep her from becoming too powerful again because she'd picked up not one but now a whole raid's worth of Adventurers."</p>
<p>"So...we have a contract with Izanami and we have to be obedient to her to keep it, but we surrendered to Izanagi without understanding it?"</p>
<p>Michael nodded. "I don't know where that puts us with Izanagi, though, since he ignores us most of the time."</p>
<p>Brenner shifted. "May I stray along that path for a minute?" He got a few nods. "If there has to be a balance of power, then we should be able to see all the parallels, right? There's a High Priestess held by both. Who does she answer to ultimately?"</p>
<p>"Izanagi." Michael said in a firm, dead voice.</p>
<p>"Seriously?" Michael nodded. "I was going to say that the High Priest was the balance since he seems to control her."</p>
<p>"Well...that is Izanagi."</p>
<p>"Okay, but then what's Mister Nyanta?"</p>
<p>"...How about Izanami's balance to the High Priest?"</p>
<p>"That makes sense. Because he takes care of Purrcy for Izanami like we do and Log Horizon." Brenner said.</p>
<p>Michael raised his eyebrow but Reed got it in first. "You're sure Izanami's the one that wants to take care of Purrcy like that?"</p>
<p>"Izanagi's the abuser. It stands to reason Izanami is the balance to that." Brenner stated.</p>
<p>"Since when?" Lots of the rest of them were looking affronted since they all felt rather abused by Izanami.</p>
<p>Brenner explained. "No. Whenever we Adventurers need to rest, Izanami's the one that stands between us and Izanagi. Izanami doesn't want us to all be worn out too much, or we'll stop playing the game. Izanagi wants to force us to move our hands the way it wants. Izanami only ever asks for us to participate."</p>
<p>"That's in the coding," Michael agreed.</p>
<p>"So if the balance with us is that we obey Izanami in playing her game the same as Purrcy does, what's the parallel balance?" Brenner asked.</p>
<p>"We don't get to be our own, apparently," Reed said dryly.</p>
<p>"Well, but why? Izanagi follows his rules of programming. It wouldn't be just for a balance of power, I don't think," Brenner pressed them. "And he doesn't use us for anything, except to torture us like he does all Adventurers."</p>
<p>"...Maybe because his ultimate goal <em>is</em> to own Adventurers? They did drag us all over here, after all."</p>
<p>Gloomily one said, "So now you're telling us that we signed the contract to go home and Izanagi immediately made it impossible for us to?"</p>
<p>Men shifted uncomfortably. "That is a balance," one ventured timidly.</p>
<p>Clocktower shifted forward after a bit and waved his hand a little. "I don't think that's a show-stopper just yet. It is a balance that fits, but there's still a lot about the final level and boss battle we don't know yet. We do know the looked for drop is the two way door. If that plays out, I think they won't be required to keep everyone, even those like us.</p>
<p>"Shiroe's goal in the last set with chasing Izanagi out of Akiba and replacing him with the new kami was to break the sneaky trap, in fact, so that we all <em>could</em> properly make our own choice in the matter.</p>
<p>"We won't know until that last battle what the outcome was. If it was broken the whole issue is a moot point. The Code breach was repaired by that change if it was good, and we did our part to see it happened to the best of our ability."</p>
<p>"Good point," was murmured. They let that float for a bit, then: "Four."</p>
<p>"Article Four: If I become a prisoner of war, I will keep faith with my fellow prisoners. I will give no information or take part in any action which might be harmful to my comrades. If I am senior, I will take command. If not, I will obey the lawful orders of those appointed over me and will back them up in every way."</p>
<p>They were all silent for a long time on that one. "Well, that's a can of worms," one finally said. "Are we talking about right now and the issue of the course correction, or the whole thing?"</p>
<p>Gareth raised his hand and they let him talk. "It's the one I was trying to talk to. I'll try to summarize again. Mike was given the order based on the contract to become a Priest of Izanami. To support him, I was given the order to become a Deacon of Izanami. Mike was still the only one who fully understood the contract at the time. He explained it to me then that I was to back him up on the matter, so I did - obeying Four.</p>
<p>"According to the rules of Two, he stood between you and pain yet again, like that early time in Minami. See, it's been pretty obvious that Izanami knows all our other rules, too, and knew this day would be happening anyway: where we go one, we go all. Mike's goal was to postpone as long as possible. Overall, we didn't like the order and it was completely under duress, so we didn't break that part of Two either."</p>
<p>"How did you know, or even know now, that you wouldn't be breaking the harmful action clause?"</p>
<p>Gareth sighed. Michael shook his head, "When Izanami came to talk us into it, we asked that, too, in effect, since I was set to completely refuse. She said it was a necessary step to getting the final drop. Since then that hasn't been wrong. We've used the purifications over and over to get through the Overwitten clean-up phase. And here, it's been essential.</p>
<p>"I'm not convinced that it would have been necessary for the rest of you to join us ever. You just made her mad so she used a convenient opportunity to swipe your butts. Really, the whole goal was to prevent any harmful actions to the rest of you that might come out of it.</p>
<p>"Now that you're initiated, I can't say, really. Ask the Oracle or God for that one since they know the future. I certainly intend with all my being to continue to make my future decisions based on holding to Four - and the rest of them." Michael added that last to make sure the loophole was closed.</p>
<p>Men shifted. This was going long, but it felt like things were getting settled a little better. Five was called for. "Article Five: When questioned, should I become a prisoner of war, I am required to give name, rank, service number and date of birth. I will evade answering further questions to the utmost of my ability. I will make no oral or written statements disloyal to my country and its allies or harmful to their cause."</p>
<p>"Has anyone actually even given those requireds?" Records asked.</p>
<p>"I have, once," Michael said. "No take that back, twice, but I wasn't a prisoner of the first. Kazuhiko wanted to know early on and I thought it wisdom to let him know so he would trust me enough to let me try to get into the special's prison to find you lot.</p>
<p>"The second was to Purrcy and she let me know in her code that I'd better give that answer. That's why she and the AIs know my name, and how I came to learn that Purrcy was being controlled by them at the beginning of the time Izanami started doing everything she could to win me over."</p>
<p>"Are there any agreements made that will break the 'harmful to the cause of America or its allies' clause when we get home?"</p>
<p>One raised his hand. "I'm worried about what happens if we select for the two-way door option instead of close it off entirely."</p>
<p>Reed nodded. "That is a risk. If they decide to loophole in that they can drag in others from Earth and keep them like they did us, that's a problem."</p>
<p>"I think Guildmaster Shiroe will cover that one," Secretary said calmly. They could accept that. They weren't asked very many questions that were difficult to evade, so they moved on.</p>
<p>"Article Six: I will never forget that I am an American, fighting for freedom, responsible for my actions, and dedicated to the principles which made my country free. I will trust in my God and in the United States of America."</p>
<p>There was honorable respect for that one, but they all knew they held to that one most tightly of all. Purrcy had helped them over that hurdle in the specials prison and they never forgot it since. If they ever thought they might, they remembered that time and her own fighting spirit. She wasn't their den mother for nothing.</p>
<p>Avionics raised his hand over his head. "Actually. That one's mine." They all looked at him, wondering. "If I trust in the United States of America, and our military, then Mrs. Purrcy herself is an AI. A virus rider to the Game Bot, or a hidden subroutine. She's stuck so tight to the Code herself this whole time and watched over us, making sure we navigate towards the goals it contains.</p>
<p>"Even if we have to check each step with the Code ourselves to meet the 'responsible for my actions' clause, and should, if they're doing anything to bring us home and as many prisoners with us as possible, she fits the bill from that viewpoint. We're in a program, even if it's also real. They'd send a program, or have had one on standby.</p>
<p>"I've been watching for signs it really is a possibility. Having the Commander say today that he had to give the proper data at the beginning and she gave him the clues it was necessary is a major clue to me. Name, rank, service number, and date of birth is enough to be a password to wake up the subroutine and get it going. It was also a sequence of high enough rank to attach to pretty closely.</p>
<p>"She's wanted all of us, known how to get us, watched over us just as close as any senior officer, and marched to the proper drummer. I'd even go so far as to say that if she's claiming Admin privileges now, even if limited, then the virus aspect of the subroutine has drilled that far into the programming and everything is on track for the drop of the final boss. We probably won't know until we get home for sure, but that's the feel to me."</p>
<p><em>That</em> was something to chew on. "She returns 'empty set' every time there's a data read on her real status and data, even if it can be pulled up by spells, <em>and</em> every time there's something that tries to attack her. As if there isn't really anything there <em>to</em> attack." That had bugged them for a long time.</p>
<p>Avionics nodded. It was one of his clues, too. "You can't put a non-entity to sleep, blow it up, or kill it. You can segregate it, encapsulate it, and cut it off from the main program.</p>
<p>"It can inhabit anima in the same way the other AIs do, and because it <em>isn't</em> human, it needs protection from that discovery and help to come off human in situations it's unfamiliar with as far as the training of the neural network goes, but it has a high learning speed and capacity, and in this case, access to the data copied off the internet."</p>
<p>"What about my own test of faith in God?" Brenner asked.</p>
<p>Avionics shook his head. "My own's just as much a ship on the sea, Chappie, but part of Six is faith in God, too. If they wanted us to test it to make sure, they would have purposely programmed it in.</p>
<p>"If a sub-AI <em>we're</em> going to follow orders from can't meet that test, like the one of it waking up to the proper initial sequence of information, we can know for sure it wasn't meant for us. They would have included the capacity to make sure we'll toe the line on that clause, too."</p>
<p>Avionics looked around the group. "I really don't know. It's all the same evidence to say Izanami wants us and knows from the get go how to have us. But that's my take."</p>
<p>"Well, there is the matter that she herself insists she's human and that's what matters most, but that's also full of holes either way." Overall it was an interesting way of looking at it, and was now added to the consideration of the squad as a whole.</p>
<p>"So," MasterChiefS7 said after enough time had passed. "Given we stand as close to the Code as we can at the moment - if everyone's in agreement with that - then moving forward in what way makes sure we still are walking right by it?"</p>
<p>Michael held up his hand to stop the discussion there. "Get going on harvesting for the next stint and noodle on it more. We'll discuss again tonight after dinner or tomorrow before we get back on the road."</p>
<p>Brenner stood up. "First, let me say a prayer." Everyone settled down, and the few hats that were on heads came off. "God, we're in this rather strange and sometimes forsaken place for a purpose only You can fully comprehend. It's in <em>Your</em> hand that we want to be tools in the ultimate end.</p>
<p>"Grant to each of us an illumination of the path we should each take and take together. Keep us a squad so that we can continue to have each other to lean on and find strength in. Grant us the strength to be a strength to our brothers-in-arms. Lead us to the successful completion of our mission and a peaceful rest in Thee if it comes down to it.</p>
<p>"Bless our families and loved ones back at home and comfort them since we can't be there to do it ourselves. Keep them strong in the faith, as well. Thank you for being always present when two or more are gathered together in Your name. Bless our commanding officers that we'll be led through the fire safely and that our orders will be the ones to lead us back home. Be our strength and forgive us our trespasses.</p>
<p>"...And bless Mister Shiroe on his walk to find the way home for all of us lonely Adventurers who want to go home. Bless those who are afraid to go home with courage so they can face their pasts and futures properly and with hope and faith. Thank you. In Jesus' name, amen."</p>
<p>Amens sounded from those who were in that habit. They all sat there quiet for a while, and Brenner said, "I'm sorry I forgot that part's important too, before now."</p>
<p>They silently forgave him and nodded their gratitude, then rose up and formed their smaller parties to go hunting and harvesting, taking off in the four cardinal directions, six to a party.</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>Michael was missing again. Reed pulled up his map and went hunting - again. Staring at the beautiful scenery was calming and peaceful but it wasn't healing the Commander as fast as they needed it to.</p>
<p>Now that they'd all heard what he had to say, Michael had become even more the recluse, as if that was sufficient excuse for him to lay the burden of leadership down. They could understand the need to have time to heal, but he didn't have the luxury of the latter.</p>
<p>Michael didn't move as Reed approached. That didn't mean he didn't know.</p>
<p>Reed sat down next to the man he'd followed for a long time now. He'd even followed him out of school and into the Navy. He'd been fortunate he'd been able to stay with him through the aviation program and considered himself even more lucky to have gotten this assignment as Michael's second in command.</p>
<p>For all he had to hold his own position, he wouldn't trade anything about this mess they were in. There was no one better, in his book, to have here with them all - and they needed him back up on his feet again.</p>
<p>He studied Michael's face. Michael let him. He was rather odd like that. He already knew and let it flow as if it was a given it was necessary. It was one of the things that made him a good commander, actually. He lived the life as the example so everyone under him knew exactly what they were supposed to do and live.</p>
<p>"How do Maryann and David fit into all of this hanging on you're trying to do?" Reed asked. It was the reality check he'd personally been worried about. They both had that as one of their life ropes to walk in this place and Purrcy had been mentioned more often than perhaps was good for anyone.</p>
<p>Michael looked down, then over to him, a difficult look on his face. "That's the hardest one, Reed." His voice choked a little and he paused, looking out over the run of mountains in front of them. "I believed early on that it would be enough to beat my anger, frustrations, and pain out on whatever made us come here if I couldn't get back to them.</p>
<p>"I don't have either one now. The rope to hold onto them is a thin thread now and the last one existent." His head dropped and his eyes closed. "I can barely even think of them for fear I'll break even that thread and lose all hope completely."</p>
<p>"No, I think that's the wrong path and direction to go," Reed disagreed. "It's the strongest one when you hold it close to you." He put his hand on Michael's shoulder. "You remember the last time Nyanta-san was with us and they grieved for the lost children? He understands, too. It was a thing he had to give up on Earth before even coming.</p>
<p>"We don't have to give it up. They're our kids and wives. We have the right to fight for them, to win them back. Purrcy may be like your mother, but remember that he said 'we'. Both of them know and understand that you need Maryann and David, and they're fighting with us to get there.</p>
<p>"You said it yourself. Izanami would have shut Shiroe down instead of given him knowledge and possibilities if she wasn't willing to see it happen in the end. Even if you didn't believe it when you said it, it's still a truth. They're fighting to see we get home. Keep fighting to get there. It's what your girlfriend's ordered you to do anyway."</p>
<p>Michael gave one dry chuckle at that. He finally sighed. "Let me lean on you a bit while I consider it. Since you brought it up, if I decide to walk that thread you'll have to be the surrogate."</p>
<p>"Whatever it takes, man." Reed wasn't of the touchy-feely kind, but if the man he needed to follow needed to use him as a shoulder to cry on to move forward, he'd put up with it.</p>
<p>Reed moved to sit with his back to Michael's back. Michael leaned on him as he walked through his pains one more time to see if he had the courage to face them. When Michael finally let the tears out, his shoulders shaking with sobs against Reed's back, Reed finally relaxed just a little inside. This was the kind of healing the Commander was supposed to be doing.</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>This time, when the Lieutenant Commander dragged the Commander back they both looked a lot better - more calm anyway, and like the Commander had finally decided to live, if a bit tenuously perhaps. At least his boots were on the ground again and his feet were walking in them.</p>
<p>"Everyone settled on what direction they're going to face?" Michael asked them all quietly as the two commanders reached their men drawn up in their ranks. The vote went through the lines, each one stating firmly what level of strength and tools they'd take on. They weren't necessarily happy with it, but since they'd been put on that path, they'd abuse it as normal.</p>
<p>Michael had them sort into their requested rankings. Reed had, unsurprisingly, taken priest. So did the Intelligence detail, not surprising there either since they liked to be OP and wring this world (and any world really) for all it was worth.</p>
<p>Chappie had hesitated, but not with uncertainty, more it was making a statement. When he took deacon, they all understood. He was going for the levels and to stand by his partner, but he wasn't giving away anything at all in doing it. It just put him where he was anyway. They all knew what Gareth was for Michael. That would put Brenner in the same position for Reed, but that was normal, too.</p>
<p>The rest of them split about one third deacon, two thirds to stay acolyte for now. They had other strengths and just like they didn't all need to be Warrior Class or all Clerics, they didn't all need to have every spell set for the clergy of Izanami.</p>
<p>Most of them had taken Assassin as a second Class and Programmer as a third because those were the ones they all felt would give them the most advantage. Plus their favorite mascot was fun to fly with and they all needed to run in the secondary world of the code realm together. In this case it was more like the general Classes.</p>
<p>Michael motioned to Gareth and Gareth had them all kneel in the grass. "Okay, we're going to do it all again, one more time. I'll teach you all the proper procedures and steps along the way this time, although you've all done the first parts so many times you should already know them cold." Gareth turned to Michael. "The hardest thing is going to be finding running water in the desert out here when we leave the mountains."</p>
<p>"True enough," Michael said, "but I think we've heard enough stories at Easter about Moses and getting water out of rock. If we need it we get to ask for the miracles, too."</p>
<p>Gareth nodded and turned back to the rest of them. "That's a good point and a good analogy, too. Even if we make some of the rest of you priests, you'd likely be safe to consider Mike the prophet who gets to talk to the AI face to face while the rest of us would rather not. We'll know when she's around, like you've already learned. Generally any priest can receive visions of her - that is have her show up to talk to you, but -," he shrugged.</p>
<p>"Yeah, we know. He's her favorite."</p>
<p>"I don't want it," Reed said. "That's the spot that gets kicked the most."</p>
<p>Michael sighed. "Black and blue," he agreed.</p>
<p>"Also, you might have picked where you want to be, but she might disagree. You'll be walking through the test for that level. If you don't pass, you stay where you are. If she wants you at a higher position, she might sneak it in just because she can. Rankings are requested but assigned." The men settled to that.</p>
<p>The whole thing was definitely something they all faced with resignation. They weren't new to it, but it wasn't worth letting irritation get in the way of moving forward. They had work to do and needed to get the labels and skill set so they could get to moving on.</p>
<p>Gareth walked them through all the instructions again from the basic level and they were moving out for the closest mountain spring. Michael groaned. "Gonna hate that. Mountain springs aren't hot springs. Last time was bad enough."</p>
<p>"Just like back home," Gareth said with a shrug.</p>
<p>"Yeah, cold showers to wake up." Michael rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I wonder if a rainstorm counts as running water?"</p>
<p>Gareth looked at him with wide eyes, then shook his head. "Don't give Inari any more ideas, please."</p>
<p>"Good point," Michael said and let it drop.</p>
<p>Everyone gathered at the side of the stream and performed the first level purification then stepped back to wait for the next order. Michael frowned. "I think...," he said slowly, "we're going do things a little differently or we might have people in a lot of pain. Divide back into your groups by preference.</p>
<p>"Gareth, come wash with me. We need to be where Izanami can talk to me before we do everyone else. That will give them the example, too."</p>
<p>Not wanting to be in that kind of pain - having watched Izanagi pull Nyanta up into the higher levels of speed physically then drop him back down again - everyone was okay with the suggested change. They watched carefully as both Michael and Gareth stepped into the very cold water and bathed, then soaked.</p>
<p>"You can feel it," Gareth said as they stood and stepped out, towels appearing in their hands and they rubbed down vigorously to warm back up. "You'll know when you've soaked long enough as the cells settle into the higher speed." As soon as they were dry, they were dressed in the kimonos of their clergy rank.</p>
<p>Gareth sighed. "What are they going to wear?"</p>
<p>Michael raised an eyebrow at him and didn't answer. He did move away a bit and they watched as he cast the self-purification prayer spell. The ones who wanted that rank paid closest attention and some recorded it to get it memorized.</p>
<p>When he opened his eyes again, he blinked a few times. "Well, that answers it a little faster. I thought I'd have to ask her first." He shook his head. "Gareth tells me I make that look easy now, but the first time is really rough. You have to accept it and let it fill you. It throws your psyche out of your anima and purifies them separately, then you recombine when the pressure lets up.</p>
<p>"At this point, since we've already been through the initiation, Gareth and I are done. The rest of you will go through the initiation this time, the ones of you going into the higher levels, that is. She's already given you the initiation for acolyte. The rest are similar, just different." They gave him scowls for that one, but knew he was teasing as much as not able to really describe it.</p>
<p>Michael went first to Brenner and looked at him soberly. "She wants you higher."</p>
<p>"Why?" Brenner asked in surprise.</p>
<p>Michael turned to the Intelligence detail. "And she wants the lot of you lower." They weren't happy with that.</p>
<p>"No, really, Sir," Brenner pressed. "I've played deacon to Mister Nyanta's priest a long time."</p>
<p>Michael turned back and shook his head. "He's the High Priest. Your position at his side is like mine - priest."</p>
<p>Brenner's face fell, but he couldn't argue it. "But then...should I become a priest of Izanagi, then?" he asked, uncertain.</p>
<p>Michael stared at him for a moment, then shrugged. "Let us know which one showed up after your initiation. She's pretty jealous, though, so not likely. If they fight over you, tell them which one you want. The powers are all about the same. It's who you get to talk to that's different.</p>
<p>"He hates it from the beginning, only needing people to be his hands here when absolutely necessary." Poor Brenner was left to deal with two powerful AIs on his own. The rest didn't envy him.</p>
<p>Michael turned back to the Intelligence detail, clapped his hands twice bowed and clapped again. "Inari-no-Izanami, please will you explain for these poor souls who feel so rejected why you want them at the lower level of deacon?"</p>
<p>Gareth gave a quick motion to everyone at Michael's first clap and they followed Gareth's example and knelt down and genuflected. It was a rather comfortable position for the amount of pressure that arrived at the end of the prayer. That they recognized from their first initiation. It meant she had shown up in person again. They could only hear Michael's side of the conversation, though, and it was short.</p>
<p>He sighed and said, "Right. Then at least comfort them during the initiation some. They've already been trying hard for your sake, you know." They all felt the sensation of the pressure patting the three on the head, then it lifted and was gone, but this time they could tell it had only moved back enough to let them all up. Izanami was still watching them.</p>
<p>Gareth sat upon his knees so the rest did, too. Michael looked at the Intelligence detail sympathetically. Dryly he said, "You've got other roles to fill. She puts people where she needs them. The skills you've already got are sufficient. You've been given gifts the rest don't have and you don't need these. They'll just get in the way of what she's set you aside for, if you spend excess cycles on them."</p>
<p>"What about your gift," one asked, just a little suspiciously.</p>
<p>Michael shook his head. "I was given that one at the same time you all were - at the graduation ceremony. Becoming a priest just woke it up to its full potential, and it's taking a lot of cycles to learn it properly. The other priests won't get the full palate, just limited spacial realm walking and some kind of connection to the spirit realm."</p>
<p>"Ah!" Gareth exclaimed suddenly. He was staring bug-eyed at Stiletto. "You don't want it, Stil!" He was practically begging. "Take acolyte if she's willing. Seriously. I don't know if every deacon can see what I can see...but I see every spirit monster there is...all the time." More than Stiletto lost the blood to their heads as their hearts stopped beating. A few others in the group weren't fond of the monsters in the night either.</p>
<p>Michael shook his head. "She does want the three of you at deacon. I think that's Gareth's specific gift. When she's with you, tell her your fears and let her handle it." Stiletto swallowed, then gave a cautious nod. The three of them moved to the deacon list. Michael's eyes followed them, then settled on MasterChiefS7. "If you want it, she's willing to give you priest as well."</p>
<p>MasterChiefS7 shook his head. "I'll stand as senior deacon after Gareth where I'm supposed to stand."</p>
<p>Michael nodded. "You'll be at Reed's side, then. We'll wait to see what Brenner learns to see where he stands." He looked over the rest.</p>
<p>"Clocktower, you can't hide. She knows your role. Move over." Clocktower sighed and walked from the acolyte group to the deacon group.</p>
<p>"Charlie, do you really want it? I know you want to be in the know, but it's going to be more difficult than you think. Your position fits in acolyte."</p>
<p>"Unless you really want to be one of the direct babysitters of the High Priestess and the AI," Gareth said dryly. "Only the acolytes got free run to do their duties and then rest. Everyone else had to sit around her person and wait on her whims. Even I had to sit bored and babysit the Commander and run interference. If you don't want my job, you don't want deacon."</p>
<p>Charlie moved down. After a bit of consideration a few others rearranged between the two groups.</p>
<p>Secretary stepped out of both groups and stood with hesitation. "If Chappie's going into that slot, potentially for Izanagi, does that put me there with Shiroe becoming the High Priest of the new kami?"</p>
<p>Michael paused as he considered Secretary. It was as if he was looking at the status screen. "What's telling you which it is?" MasterChiefS7 asked.</p>
<p>"Everyone's got an aura that the level of Priest sees rather easily, deacons can but it comes easier or harder depending on the person. She's already labeled everyone to some degree. Those we've walked through already have the strongest level aura for their positions."</p>
<p>Michael's head turned fractionally as if to hear a sound and he gave a faint nod. "It's not a permanent assignment at the lower ranks. If you want to move up later as you learn how things work, you can.</p>
<p>"I think in your case, Secretary, she'd like to see you really know what it is you'd be getting into and be sure you want it for yourself first. If you're not really ready, it can break you and I think we're already broken enough as it is."</p>
<p>Michael jerked his thumb at the ones already in position in the higher levels. "They're either set to earn it, or don't get a say. Since you get a say, I suggest the gradual progression, but it's up to you."</p>
<p>Secretary considered it a little longer, then stepped into the deacon pool, his eyes going to Gareth briefly. They'd been rather in the same boat since Secretary had been called up to follow Shiroe around everywhere. Gareth gave him a nod of welcome.</p>
<p>Michael inspected the rest of them. He gave a nod to Ground Safety, Aviation Safety, and Compliance in the deacon's group. They would need the restraint spells for their roles in the guild. His eyes flicked over the group then over to the acolytes.</p>
<p>"Training is done by the deacons." Training sighed and moved over. Michael went back to inspecting the deacon candidates. There were eleven in all, a majority of them now, actually, but the roles fit. Michael inspected the acolyte group of nine next, then gave a small nod. "You'll probably be asked to move up over time, in particular two of you, but she'll settle for now at this division. Sit down, Airmen."</p>
<p>They sat. "We'll do the lessons first this time, up in the micro layer. Gareth and I had to walk into it cold at the beginning." They all entered the code realm and only had to walk up one layer instead of two since they were already at the first level.</p>
<p>There they got the video lessons, since Gareth pulled out his recorded history for them. It was a lot of information to take in all at once, to get all his daily lessons in one hit, but they were in a hurry so didn't complain. It would now be in their own histories to review if they needed to.</p>
<p>When they returned an hour later, including the Q&amp;A after the lessons, those who were moving up beyond acolyte headed for the stream to bathe and purify up to the next level. Michael walked away a bit to conference with Izanami on just how to handle the priests initial purification with only one priest and one deacon to assist for the number of priests to be made up, and to ask about how to set up the upper room of meeting since they were out in the mountaintops.</p>
<p>When he returned, the acolytes were set to the task of building another small shrine near the stream, then were informed they were going to be used to make another area-effect purification zone. That was taken with the usual unvoiced resignation. They got to work on the shrine, then circled up around the space at equidistant paces, leaving room for Michael and Gareth.</p>
<p>Gareth poured water on the shrine and dedicated it as Michael gave instructions to the rest of the guild. The deacon candidates knelt outside the circle of acolytes on the opposite side of the circle from the shrine. The priest candidates stood in the center of the circle.</p>
<p>When everyone was ready, Michael and Gareth got into position and Michael cast the spell prayer. It was difficult on everyone. The pressure maintained by the outside focuses was as great as if they'd been spinning in high-g maneuvers. The pressure inside the circle was at least that bad if not worse, given the amount of sweat that beaded up on foreheads.</p>
<p>The deacon candidates were pressed down as well and went into low bows, that being the easier posture to hold up under. When the pressure finally let up, the acolytes dropped to the ground, including Gareth, although he of them all remained conscious.</p>
<p>The deacon candidates helped Gareth move the unconscious to a place they could recover as Michael explained the last of the instructions to the priest candidates, including how to handle being able to see. He had them lie on the ground, heads towards the small rock shrine, arms spread-eagle.</p>
<p>The deacon candidates returned to sit at their feet, also facing the shrine. Michael and Gareth reminded them the wait time was until dawn and they were to maintain silence until then, then withdrew to watch over the acolytes.</p><hr/>
<p>
  <em>*National Archives: Executive Order 10631 - Code of Conduct.</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. MeowLi's Scolding</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A delegation of Akiba met the royal entourage of Maihama at the gate. Servants had been sent ahead to open Water Maple Manor and air it out, so the Adventurers had proper advance warning.</p><p>Duke Sergiad had sent Raynessia, her beau Neville, and Iselius with a guard unit and a few other retainers who had come to discuss the potential of classes for People of the Land, and perhaps to stay to begin taking those same classes.</p><p>Included in the welcoming delegation were Marielle, Henrietta, and Serera of Crescent Moon League; Akatsuki, Tetorō, and Rudy of Log Horizon; Isaac and the First Assistant of Knights of the Black Sword; Rieze of D.D.D.; and Nazuna of West Wind Brigade. Raynessia was thrilled to see her friends again, and Iselius was excited to see his own Adventurer hero on his own soil again.</p><p>Even so, they were rather restrained for People of the Land. Only Neville thought the hugs Raynessia gave all of her friends was overly demonstrative - but then he had only seen the obedient, bored, despondent Raynessia at the castle. To see the happy and engaged Raynessia was something of an adjustment for the young lordling.</p><p>The welcoming delegation offered to let the honored guests rest, but they were just as happy to go to the market center and visit with their friends over a Crescent Burger meal on this fine April day.</p><p>It was a noisy group that sat at the various open air tables that mid-day, with the boys at one table and the girls (and Tetorō) at another, catching up and learning what the Prince and Princess were hopeful of accomplishing while they were able to be present.</p><p>Poor Neville was a bit lost, but given that he'd also spent time in Akiba already during his own questing, he wasn't completely unaware. The hosts did their best to include him. Shiroe had been rather firm that they not forget that he would have to be able to cope properly given he would be married to Raynessia at the end of the year.</p><p>When they were finally walking as a group again towards the manor, Rudy brought up a request. "In a few weeks will be the next All-Yamato Adventurer festival south in Foxtail Dominion, near my home. I would like to invite you to come with us, if it's possible.</p><p>"It may perhaps be early in the sense that it may not be particularly secure yet, though Ambassador Brody is doing his best, and surely traveling with large numbers of Adventurers could only be the safest way to travel, but...," he gave a look to the Adventurers in the group, "it may be the last opportunity for us to attend a festival put on by the Adventurers."</p><p>Raynessia and Iselius turned surprised looks on Rudy, looking to the Adventurers for confirmation. They got nods back, and Akatsuki was immediately silently chosen to explain, given her position as Shiroe's secretary.</p><p>She dipped her head in apology. "We expect the efforts of the Eagles on the other side of the planet to be completed at latest by early fall, given the amount of time it took the Eured delegation to complete their journey from here to the far side of the Eured continent.</p><p>"If we have the opportunity for the Summer Festival, it will likely be a battle practice and not fit for People of the Land to attend. We thought if you'd like to come to a second one, it would have to be the Spring festival."</p><p>"Please give it your consideration," Rudy requested. "I would love to show you the things of my home, and while we are working hard to make even Ninetails Dominion secure, it may be quite some time before we can host you again there." Rudy smiled at Iselius and Raynessia. "I have a lot of learning to do at your home first, after all."</p><p>Iselius gave it his typical serious consideration. "It would be good, and fun I think, but Grandfather may feel it is too early. We'll consider it as we learn what our more immediate schedule should be, and ask Grandfather if it seems to fit in appropriately."</p><p>"Thank you for being willing to consider it," Rudy said politely.</p><p>The group was kept lifted up by the guildmasters, but it underscored that those who would be left behind would find a hole created by the Adventurers accomplishing their goal. They would have to find their own ways to fill the holes through their own friendships.</p><p>-:-:-:-:-</p><p>When the Log Horizon contingent of the Royal welcoming committee returned home, MeowLi was cat on the couch next to Naotsugu. "Did the Prince and Princess get in okay?" Naotsugu asked them as the door closed behind them.</p><p>"Sure!" Tetorō flipped his hair back.</p><p>MeowLi stared at him in amazement. "What?" he asked her.</p><p>She blurted out, "Are you part Person of the Land, too?"</p><p>While Tetorō tried to figure out how to answer that, Naotsugu laughed a hearty laugh. Rudy shook his head in negation. "We call that 'the idol'," Akatsuki answered dryly. "He was Tetora more than Tetorō when we spent time with Princess Raynessia before. Being with her and the group again makes him revert."</p><p>"Oh," MeowLi said quietly, looking slightly cowed and very sorry she'd said it. "I'm sorry. I've only seen dandies like Rudy do things like that, or spoiled -" She stopped, that wasn't going to help her case at all. Tetorō's scowl was telling her so.</p><p>Akatsuki put her hand gently on Tetorō's arm. "It does look similar, but to Adventurers it isn't quite the same."</p><p>"Since when?" chortled Naotsugu. "Just because his vanity is Adventurer, doesn't mean it isn't still vanity." Tetorō's ire shifted to include Naotsugu now.</p><p>Naotsugu raised a hand at him. "It's a new thing for her. Give her that allowance, at least. She hasn't got any other thing to hang her hat on, but that parallel. If you don't like it, explain it to her." He gave Tetorō a firm, almost threatening look. "<em>Nicely</em>."</p><p>Tetorō sighed. "You know that's a long story."</p><p>MeowLi jumped down from the couch. "I've got the time...if you're willing to tell me...nicely." She was both hopeful and apologetic.</p><p>Tetorō studied her a bit. "Ready to get out of the house again, and feeling left out?"</p><p>MeowLi froze, one paw in the air. She put it on the floor and her ears drooped a little. "A bit."</p><p>Tetorō paused a bit longer, then relented, although it was half punishment. "Very well. Let's go on a walk and I'll tell you a bit about the idol Tetora."</p><p>As they headed to the door, MeowLi transforming to felinoid on the way, Naotsugu threatened, "And when you get back, we'll make sure you also learned how the idol grew up to be the Tetorō you know now." Tetorō gave a black look at Naotsugu over his shoulder as he opened the door to let them out.</p><p>"I assume Chichiue and Hahaue tried to teach you everything they could about Adventurers," Tetorō began as they walked down the street in the direction of the Academy. MeowLi nodded.</p><p>"On Earth, I'm male, but I'd chosen to play <em>Elder Tales</em> with a female avatar for various reasons we don't need to get into. I was quite unhappy to show up here at the time of the catastrophe in that same female avatar. I'd spent a lot of time making it just right, but that didn't mean I wanted to wear it."</p><p>Tetorō spun in a circle, arms outstretched, and was Tetora when he faced forward again. "Every dimension was perfect, every color in place, and the beauty of the form attracted males like I'd made it to." MeowLi was taking in the new form with wide eyes.</p><p>"And yet, I hated it, and even more, I hated the men and boys who couldn't tell I was a male forced into it, even when I dressed and acted male. So I decided I'd punish them."</p><p>He put his hand to his cheek and batted his eyelashes. "I became the super-sweet...," he swept into a come-hither but coyly shy pose, "...almost attainable...," he suddenly had a parasol spinning on his shoulder and was walking with the almost-mincing steps of a princess, "...ultra star idol." He looked back at MeowLi, an impish look on his face.</p><p>He was suddenly resting his clasped hands on her shoulder and blinking fetchingly at her. "Surely the men couldn't complain if I gave them everything they thought they wanted from such a body." It was a mean tease.</p><p>He was suddenly snuggled under MeowLi's arm on the other side. "Surely if they couldn't see the real me, they deserved the torture of having such a gorgeous, desirable form pressed up against them when it so obviously wasn't attainable."</p><p>Tetorō was suddenly not there, but mincing along in front of her again. "After all, that's what an idol is - something desired but only from a distance."</p><p>He looked back at her soberly. "No one wants an idol when they become real and personal up close. That's too much reality. Who wants the girl that takes the makeup off and is just a plain Jane? Who wants the spoiled princess around when she opens her mouth to prove to her listeners what she really is?</p><p>"Who wants the dandy who given half a chance will weep his depression to you because in reality he is the hated son of a wealthy father who cares more for the opinions of others than the tender feelings of his own family?"</p><p>Tetorō changed back to his male avatar and stuck his hands in his pockets. MeowLi blinked, her ears still paying attention to him as she listened to him. "That last one was me.</p><p>"I found Log Horizon and came back with them to keep teasing Naotsugu as one of those idiots who couldn't see right. The rest of them could tell, and they were really patient with the angry male me stuck in the female body. It still took me a long time until I was calmed down enough to admit I wasn't happy either way.</p><p>"Then Hahaue showed up to mess with my perfect little world - and I just knew she was going to turn it upside down." He shrugged his shoulders up around his ears for a bit, a sour look on his face briefly. "She did."</p><p>They walked in silence for a while, reaching the rock by the pond under Purrcy's tree before he told the rest of the story. "Purrcy was a different sort of Adventurer. American, wild, restrained because she wanted to be and yet also because she was forced to be by Inari, but first and foremost she was already a parent with the experience and wisdom of parents."</p><p>Tetorō turned gracefully and sat on the edge of the rock. MeowLi sat on it also where she could watch him as he talked. A bit of a breeze brought the scent of new growing things and floral scents of spring flowers to them. They both lifted their heads to smell the wind.</p><p>"Most Adventurers are young, thirteen to twenty-six or -eight on the outside. After that Earth life is too busy for computer play. Most have their own kids by then and jobs and responsibilities that take up their time. Hahaue and Chichiue were exceptions that got dragged along."</p><p>He caught MeowLi's reaction. "Oh they had all those responsibilities, too, and were serious about them, but that night they had opportunity to be on and play, and they happened to get caught up in it like the rest of us." He looked down at his feet and shrugged. "It was to our benefit that they were. Just like they are anchors for you and your siblings I suspect, they quickly became anchors: sources of strength and centers of calming peace for us.</p><p>"Because here there is only each other to be family, they really are the parents in the guild, and honestly to anyone who knows them well enough to understand. When Chichiue frowns and scolds with the few words he says, we all feel terrible for days until we've fixed whatever it was he said needed fixing. When Hahaue holds out her arms in open invitation, we willingly accept the comfort we all desperately need in this place that is not home." He was silent again for a while. MeowLi respected that silence.</p><p>Tetorō tossed his hair out of his face. "Purrcy scolded most of us in those first two to three days, being the Hahaue we needed to straighten us up where we'd gotten weak and didn't know how to help each other get rid of those weaknesses."</p><p>He gave a slight smile to MeowLi. "For me, that meant I wasn't allowed to tease Naotsugu anymore and I had to face the real me and admit I'd rather be that, even if what I'd become on the outside wasn't that." He looked over to the tree. "It took a while, but once she was strong enough, she gave me this form, and when I was strong enough, I earned the ability to switch between them as I needed to."</p><p>He tossed his head and grinned his teasing grin. "You might not believe it, but I really am both - Tetora and Tetorō. Pieces of them are always me, but I really am male and prefer it. I'm grateful Hahaue gave me the push I needed, and let me keep both. She always has only cared that we are really who we should be, and who we really want to be."</p><p>They sat in silence as MeowLi took it all in. Finally she said, "Hahaue has said often that she is mother to many, sometimes to all. Is this what she's meant?"</p><p>"If you mean to ask, has she been the parent of those who've needed parenting all across the globe, then yes. It's hard for us of Log Horizon to let her go, wanting that so desperately for ourselves, being torn from our own parents and families.</p><p>"She's always been willing to be the parent, caring for any of her children who need her. That's why Izanagi made her the Caretaker." Tetorō studied MeowLi for a bit. She'd seemed to accept that much fairly easily, likely because of her own lessons from Purrcy.</p><p>"You need to understand it in a little more depth, though, I think. It's been too much a surface comment to you. Like you used to think about Yamato, and like you still don't really understand Adventurers yet, although we're working you up to it." MeowLi frowned a bit. "I think you get it for Log Horizon, since you saw it when she brought you, but you have to translate it to <em>everyone</em> that knows her, and who really knows Chichiue."</p><p>That brought up the spark he was expecting and he tossed his head at her. "Yeah, that's what I thought. You already can't share him with anyone, but you can share Hahaue. You have to let go and figure out how to share him, too."</p><p>MeowLi's eyes widened. "Well, he is my father...and they didn't say anything about him being a Caretaker, too."</p><p>Tetorō tipped his head thinking about that. "Well, I guess that is a bit different. He wouldn't say that since he was never official, I suppose, but honestly I don't think Izanagi would have accepted him without his capacity to care for all the children."</p><p>MeowLi sobered up at that. He'd touched on a truth she'd seen, then. Trying to say what he'd only really felt up until then, Tetorō continued. "Nyanta-san has always cared that everyone be able to continue to walk forward. He gets impatient, and he needs his own space, but if he sees anyone in need and he can fill that need, he won't hesitate to quietly step in and do it.</p><p>"What that means to the person on the other end is that when it's over they can only feel gratitude and deep respect for the someone who was willing to do that." He pierced MeowLi with his look and waited expectantly.</p><p>MeowLi had seen examples, based on her early reactions. Now her ears fell a bit as she studied the rock between them and the thoughts of her mind. Finally she sighed. He waited, not looking away from her. Eventually, she wiggled uncomfortably and her ear flicked a few times until she slumped and gave up. "Which was it for Serera-chan?" she asked quietly.</p><p>"Because he was her savior at the beginning, it was a child's crush," he said plainly. MeowLi looked up at him in surprise, her mouth open a little. He gave a nod. "Nyanta-san didn't disabuse her of it, as he knew she needed something to hold on to in the early time, but later he was only uncomfortable with it.</p><p>"He still allowed her to be with him, though, because - as a father - he knew that she needed the anchor of a parent in this place. That was how Purrcy changed him and Serera-chan. She claimed Nyanta-san and was old enough to do it - being older than him by her claims.</p><p>"In a way that could be understood and not fought against, she made Serera-chan give up her misplaced romantic feelings. It was very hard on her - the ending of a first love is for anyone - but Purrcy understood well enough to not leave it there. What Serera-chan needed even more was what all of us needed - the anchor of the parent. To have left her without anything would have broken her.</p><p>"Instead, Purrcy welcomed Serera-chan into their relationship until Serera-chan understood what she really wanted and needed. To Serera-chan, Purrcy <em>is</em> her Hahaue here on Theldesia, and Nyanta-san <em>is</em> her Chichiue, the same as they are yours.</p><p>"She is breaking because she can't have them as her anchors while they are in the Gate of Time." He said the last soberly, then let MeowLi work it out inside herself.</p><p>-:-:-:-:-</p><p>MeowLi considered her time in the unbounded Gate of Time. She wanted to shiver every time she thought of her First entrance and that First long time. It had been so difficult.</p><p>Nyanta hadn't been her Chichiue that whole time and it had felt oh, so long. Her hug had been rebuffed with coolness that had set her straight and reminded her of that detail she'd forgotten from her lessons in her deep longing to see her father again. She understood how hard it was to not have anyone.</p><p>It had been almost harder to have the cool wall of Izanagi as the only one to be with, but it had trained her in how to be properly in front of Chichiue when he'd come for his First time into the Gate of Time and didn't know her at all. She'd had to be the same sort of cool, although she'd not done as well as Izanagi, particularly the times she'd been missing the warmth of their relationship as child and parent.</p><p>She wanted to say that her life had been harder than Serera's, but she wasn't sure she could. She'd at least had the physical presence of Nyanta both times to help her relax just a little - enough to be able to tell that it had been "better" than the early time when she'd been by herself.</p><p>She looked down at her foot dangling down the side of the rock, her ears falling just a little and her tail moved lightly. Her mother had told her that she'd been afraid from the day MeowLi had been born and they'd realized it was she they were going to have to send into the unbounded Gate of Time.</p><p>Purrcy had understood that she would be without anchors, that she would fall out of the Gate of Time into a place completely unfamiliar with only people she didn't know. She had understood that MeowLi would become a Person of the Land who had experiences exactly like the Adventurers had - frightening, lonely ones.</p><p>MeowLi couldn't fault Serera for wanting and needing parents in this place to cling to. MeowLi did wish it wasn't <em>her</em> parents, and if she were honest with herself, specifically her father. Tetorō wasn't wrong to point out she was jealous for her father.</p><p>MeowLi sighed. "Okay. I get it. It won't be easy, though."</p><p>Tetorō shrugged. "As long as you remember it and try your best." He looked out over the glade. "She works in the kitchens, too. If you want more lessons there and to try to understand a little better," he gave her a piercing look again, "and practice," she winced, "you could let her teach you."</p><p>MeowLi's tail twitched and she didn't meet his eyes. She had to admit it, though. "I guess it would be a good thing to try. It is true I'm ready for more activity outside the house."</p><p>Tetorō gave a nod. "Thought so. You aren't any more used to inactivity than Purrcy. Nyanta-san could nap all afternoon and be content. He would have to sit on her just to get her to give up and go to bed at night."</p><p>MeowLi couldn't hold back the laugh. It had been no different in the Gate of Time. "He probably spent more time sleeping at Li Shou's temple than working, although he did what he was supposed to. And at home, if he was missing they'd have to wait until he showed up with an excuse, but the few times I went looking for him, wondering where he'd gotten off to, he was always sleeping in his favorite place."</p><p>"And where was that?" Tetorō asked with a raised eyebrow.</p><p>MeowLi shook her head. She wouldn't ever give up that secret. She'd made it her favorite place to be, too. He never sent her away when she cuddled up next to him to nap with him. It had always been her favorite time.</p><p>Tetorō didn't push her. He did pause, then say, "If you need it, here it was the third floor porch on the lounge chair, when Naotsugu hadn't dragged him down to the couch to get <em>some</em> social time into his schedule."</p><p>MeowLi stared at Tetorō in shock, then couldn't help the tear shivers. Rudy had understood from the beginning, although he'd been kind to not point it out on a day she wouldn't have reacted well. Tetorō held out his arms to her and she slid forward to rest in his comforting hug.</p><p>With a sigh, he commented randomly, "It's a good thing this place is secluded. The rumor'd get around that I had a new girlfriend, otherwise."</p><p>Once her tears were done, MeowLi considered that comment. "Do you have many?"</p><p>Tetorō laughed at her. "What do you think with me having both halves?"</p><p>"You love only yourself - in <em>that</em> way," she clarified quickly. He was kind and did love others.</p><p>"So. You have it," he grinned at her, letting go. "So - it would be a big deal to the city to think I'd found someone else."</p><p>Her ear twitched. "I guess I can see that." She had to squelch the sudden reaction she'd had. He wasn't interest in her that way either, and her mother would kill her - and maybe even her father - if they caught wind of any rumor that she returned said rumored interest on his part. She didn't want to think of the answer if it wasn't rumor.</p><p>She looked back at Tetorō and he was Tetora, grinning the same grin as before. "I think we're safer if we go home this way. No way they can claim such evil deeds of me if we're just the older sister walking the younger one."</p><p>MeowLi let that relationship settle in her heart, covering the other one that shouldn't ever even be a seed of an idea. "Thank you, Tetora, for helping me understand, and for telling me your story."</p><p>Tetorō rose to his feet and gave a bow. "You're welcome. Shall we?" He offered her his elbow. Really, that wasn't helping, but then it did accentuate the fact that he was a very confusing Adventurer, for Adventurers.</p><p>-:-:-:-:-</p><p>"Gareth, I've got something to do, and now that I'm purified, dressed up, and feeling sentimental, this is a good time to do it." Michael said as Gareth settled down next to the little pile of unmoving Eagles.</p><p>Gareth looked at him suspiciously. "You're going to do that full-on temporal walk."</p><p>"Yes," Michael admitted. "It's necessary though, or I'll disappear and not come back for a long time. I got caught in time, if you'll remember. I'd like to make sure I get back."</p><p>Gareth sighed. "Alright. It will test my link to you. I'll watch and if you get lost, look for me."</p><p>"Will do," Michael nodded perfunctorily. He took a breath and firmly planted the where and when. It would be his first time to walk to the other side of the planet, and through time no less. He said a prayer to Izanami in his heart, then stepped into the familiar room.</p><p>He could almost <em>feel</em> space folding around him and a ripple went through him as well as he moved through time. The sounds and smells were right and the room was empty. He looked at Tetorō's bed. The room had been blessed, but was beginning to feel rather low. He quickly performed the room purification to keep himself from dropping too much for now, and to clean up the little licks of darkness that were trying to creep in.</p><p>Then he stepped, careful of time as well as space, to be standing on the third floor patio. Tetorō was holding Purrcy-cat and looking out over towards Purrcy's silver maple where Nyanta would be at this time. He was looking both lost and somewhat sad. This had been a hard time, although Tetorō had yet to walk it.</p><p>The worst had been he'd been one of the ones alone, when he'd needed to be with everyone to heal. Since he didn't know yet, Michael could give him some comfort now. He smiled a little as he left the edge of the time-space he was in to step into the base realm.</p><p>He reached out and turned Tetorō around and pulled him into a hug. Tetorō stiffened slightly, then recognized the kimono and that Michael was at the higher levels of purification and relaxed his head on Michael's chest. "I've purified your room, too," Michael said. "You can both sit there to relax after breakfast if you want."</p><p>Tetorō swallowed. "Thanks, Michael. ...How long did it take you to come back to ground level?"</p><p>Michael had to reach a long way for that memory. "Mmm...I wasn't up in the stratosphere as long as you were, but it was several days. I'd say give it at least a week. Don't push yourself or you may crash with the equivalent of a migraine. We'll heal you up, but it's best to go slowly, as you well know." He knew Tetorō wasn't going to be able to be that slow, but it was the right way to go about it when possible.</p><p>Tetorō nodded. "Thanks for coming to save us both. Were you okay?"</p><p>"Yes. I kept hopping to hide the stop off here, then led them back past the burning shrines and that caught their attention enough to give up." That had been a hard thing, to keep ahead of the priest and priestess. He'd needed some kind of distraction like that, but it had been what had gotten him into trouble. That had been a time skip.</p><p>"All five of them are gone?" Tetorō asked. Michael was surprised he cared.</p><p>"No. They left the lesser three alone. They were most angry about the ones Adventurers had been let into." The Eagles had done their part to see it was contained as well.</p><p>Tetorō's head suddenly came up for the pale green eyes to stare into his accusingly. "Wait. When were they burning the shrines?"</p><p>He had to admit it, having given that much away, but that was part of the plan. "Ah, sorry. I hopped them through time. That hasn't happened yet. Probably shouldn't have said it. I'm still trying to get used to moving through the time realm. I've got space down pretty good and I've been practicing spirit realm, but time's been tricky. I don't do it often, but I wanted to give those two at least the option to remain alive."</p><p>He was sober. "If they learn to realm walk back to the present, they'll probably die then, but if they stay where they are, they might be able to rebuild to some degree - or finish killing off the god-complex should they decide to recant instead." Considering they could be allies in this with them, he'd wanted to leave it as an option.</p><p>Tetorō frowned at Michael, pulling back a little more. "Felinoid-Purrcy wasn't harmed was she?" Spot on for getting the information necessary.</p><p>"No. She's safe in that time, just like this one."</p><p>Tetorō stayed frowning. "Are you sure <em>you're</em> not a future Michael?"</p><p>Michael looked at him a long moment, proud of him for getting it, then bent down and kissed him on the lips. The curse must affect him even if he was from a different time, but he could take it now when he couldn't get close then, and he wasn't under watch here.</p><p>It was also the only gift he could think to give for what was coming up next for the lonely Tetorō. It helped he was in his female avatar so that Michael could have been just kissing his daughter.</p><p>"I am, indeed. Thank you for taking care of Purrcy for so long. We've been missing you, on the other side of the planet. Please know we are always thinking of you, and that's from more than me, by the way. This is likely the last time you'll wear the female form and be at peace in it. We love you both ways, just so you know."</p><p>That was the most warning he could give without changing things too much. There really wasn't a good way to express how much he wanted to help Tetorō walk through this next bit, and that it would all be worth it in the end.</p><p>"I happened to be feeling sentimental just at this moment in my present, so thought I'd come give you the gift I forgot to give you because I was so tired and lost in time when you got home. Come get me please, so I can come home, too." Michael finally got around to the pressing part of his visit.</p><p>Tetorō's hand was tight on Michael's arm. "I will. I don't want you lost in time. That rather screws things up royally."</p><p>"Yes, it does, doesn't it?" Michael gave a cynical smile.</p><p>"Will...we see you again, after where you are now?" The loss was already there, and it hurt a little.</p><p>"I don't know," Michael laughed at him a little. "I haven't gotten that far yet, have I? But most likely you will. We haven't reached the final boss yet."</p><p>Michael pulled Tetorō in for a closer hug. He shouldn't say things that would change his present, but he did want to let Tetorō know that things had worked out properly to help him continue to move forward.</p><p>"Really, Tetora and Tetorō. Thank you. She's turned out wonderful. ...And tell the current me to you that I need to stop and spend time in the Gate of Time. That's where to learn how to walk through time."</p><p>"Okay. I will," Tetorō said, trying to muffle his tears. "Thanks for all your help, too. I really couldn't have made it even this far without you. I'll miss you when you go."</p><p>It was going to be a double farewell, really. "I know, but it can't be helped. Think of us and I'll see you when we all get together again. Go get me so I can. I'm rather afraid at the moment."</p><p>"Okay. Good luck over there."</p><p>"Thanks. You too over here. You can make it through the next bit. It's necessary, too."</p><p>Tetorō took a deep breath. "Okay."</p><p>Michael let him go and stepped back to the border between realms again. He watched as Tetorō sat down on the lounge chair and called his present Michael. He laughed to remember the surprising kiss back that had been Tetorō's payback.</p><p>Knowing his past self was safely back where he was supposed to be, he carefully thought of the time and place he needed to be to continue forward himself. He put a prayer and intent into it and walked.</p><p>Again space folded and on the other side he could feel Gareth's link calling to him. He went towards it, making sure his intent was for the same pull that he should be returning to. Sometimes he felt them all, so he had to find the correct link.</p><p>The look on Gareth's face was rather priceless when he stepped back through. "I just left you to go retrieve myself, the acolytes are unconscious, and every one else is in initiation," Michael said immediately.</p><p>Gareth slumped. "Yes. I'm glad you made it back properly."</p><p>Michael sat down next to him and took him in his arms. "This place is twisting me in crazy ways," Michael admitted. He sat still and quiet, waiting for the plague to wear off, then remembered it didn't work that way. He let Gareth go. "Cast the anti-plague on me," he ordered softly.</p><p>Gareth sat up straight and then glared with tears in his eyes. "You went that far, Michael?" he pleaded to not hear it.</p><p>"You remember: I got lost when I brought Tetorō home and then tried to shake Kaede off the trail. He called me back and scolded me and let me know the present me had told him I was to go learn properly at the Gate of Time. I touched him in his female avatar when I was there just now, and the plague transfers by touch. Cast the anti-plague on me."</p><p>Gareth cast it, letting it settle area-effect so he was covered by it, too. Then he hit Michael very hard. "Don't you go off in time to then and to the other side of the world at the same time. That's too far," Gareth tried to cover for his jealousy, but Michael already had known - both that Gareth had wanted to be considered Tetorō's partner, and had been spurned.</p><p>He'd been properly watching over both of them while Gareth was in the shrine for lessons, even though Reed and the others thought he wasn't. It had been to protect Gareth that he'd played lazy insolence.</p><p>Michael shook his head, holding his bruised body. "I had both of you anchoring at both ends. I won't do it again." Gareth scowled, doing his best to keep the tears down. When Michael felt like the anti-plague had worked sufficiently, he moved cautiously back to Gareth and took him in a hug again to calm his shivers. "I promise," Michael said softly.</p><p>He stayed there holding Gareth for a long time, remembering times with him, with Tetorō, with Purrcy, and mostly with his wife, his heart trying to tell Maryann and his son across the universes that he was trying his best to get home; that they were all trying as hard as they could, even though it was oh, so difficult.</p><p>-:-:-:-:-</p><p>Michael napped then, during the afternoon while Gareth stayed awake. When the acolytes finally recovered enough to wake up, Gareth joined Michael in having a nap, staying curled up next to him. They'd likely take the pre-dawn shift since they'd need to be the ones to go collect the candidates and test if they'd been accepted or not.</p><p>None of them outside the outdoor upper room of meeting could get inside it now. Izanami was guarding it with a pressure wall and they'd fallen just far enough to not get through that. In order for the initiation to occur that space had to stay high enough for her to enter it.</p><p>Being on the outside of an initiation was another learning experience, and just as boring as any of the other things they'd had to go through. Sleep was preferable, particularly after a very disturbing event.</p><p>Gareth was still mad at Michael. That was a stupid distance to go, even if time didn't need a paradox or a missing Michael. The Michael of that time hadn't known <em>when</em> he'd come from of course, and they'd all assumed he took care of it while they were on that side of the planet.</p><p>He finally had to give it up with a little prayer of desperation to Izanami to make sure both Michael's of the past made it through those moments okay. He slept back to back with Michael, and lightly, to know for sure he wasn't going to disappear suddenly and permanently, and he kept his link to him up as well.</p><p>When dawn was nearing, Gareth could feel the wall around the candidates begin to thin. Michael rose to his feet. Gareth followed him in the dark, casting a small Faerie Light to light their way so they didn't trip on roots and underbrush. They waited at the boundary quietly.</p><p>When the first light of the sun lit the sky behind them, the barrier softly fell away with a light breeze and the pressure on the mountain lifted. As the light behind them increased, the two new priests sat up and turned to face Michael. Their expressions were sober, but so were Michael and Gareth. "I see you've survived the night," Michael said.</p><p>"I have only returned to existence," Reed said mildly. Michael looked at him, then nodded.</p><p>Gareth's eyes had been on his other partner. That one he'd been more concerned about. When Brenner finally lifted his eyes to look at them, they were almost milky and he said nothing. Michael walked over to him, crouched down in front of him, and put his hand on Brenner's cheek, startling him slightly, although he stayed still.</p><p>Michael's thumb brushed in front of and over that eye. "They stole your sight from you. Did they tell you why?" Brenner didn't answer. "Did they steal your voice as well?" Reluctantly Brenner finally gave a nod.</p><p>Michael sat back slightly. "They fought over you and you refused them both in the end."</p><p>Brenner looked down, then nodded. Michael sighed slightly, then asked gently, "And was it overwhelming enough for you to doubt your own faith and God?"</p><p>Brenner turned his head away briefly, then closed his eyelids. After a bit he shook his head, but it had still been hard enough to make him need to heal up and decide again to stand firm in that place. Michael pulled him in to hold him in his arms. "We'll walk through it with you. Nothing they do is permanent except erasure. We'll help you hold to your faith that is larger than they are."</p><p>Brenner pulled back and wrote in the air, the magic of the code spell making it hang in the air. "<em>How is it that you can still have faith in my God after you've lived through that?</em>"</p><p>Michael's look went wry, but Gareth stayed sober. Reed looked like he wanted to know, too. Even the deacons and the acolytes who'd crept up to join them now were listening and watching. "Because for all they are that large and can do things to us we can't comprehend, they are still created beings. If there is a Creator, they are also subject to Him. There's no reason to give up on the Creator."</p><p>Michael took hold of Brenner's arm gently. "You said it yourself in your prayer. If He's put us here for a reason, then we'll move to that reason, the same as we do to theirs.</p><p>"How do we make it home from any mission? How few men I've been blessed to have lost. Those that have been called home, it's been that for every one of them and I've been given that assurance every time when I sit in my room alone to grieve. There is a Creator who determines where we are needed when and when it's time to return to Him, even if the orders came from Washington. Inari might be able to erase for this world, but God can override.</p><p>"If they were angry with you for believing that, then they have a lesson to learn from you as well. Keep walking your path and living your faith. They'll eventually learn what they need to know." Michael brushed his other hand over Brenner's forehead and eyes and pulled him in for a kiss on the forehead.</p><p>Gareth bent down next to them and ran his hand down Brenner's arm and pulled to help him to his feet. "I'll walk next to you. There are gifts given every time, even if you feel you've received a cursing. I'll help you figure them out so you can find some of the reasons for why and how."</p><p>He looked with compassion at their chaplain, even though it couldn't be seen. "Izanami has already learned a lot from Purrcy without fully understanding it, I think. Compassion is one I see regularly, usually disguised by flippant gifts of things necessary for down the road. I'm sure there are at least one or two of those hidden within where you are now."</p><p>Michael had also risen to his feet and now he walked over to the deacons. They all looked back at him soberly and Gareth was made to remember his own sober feelings when he and Michael had been retrieved. It was a solemn occasion, as religious as any worship might be, even if they didn't worship the Inari. To face something greater than oneself at that scale was like that.</p><p>Brenner reached out his hand. Gareth took it and guided Brenner to stand behind him, then placed Brenner's hand on his left shoulder. "Michael's testing the deacons now," he explained quietly. He stood there and felt for a while, testing the air, the emotions of the event, as he did instinctively.</p><p>When Michael passed all the deacons and they were standing, ready to move out again, Gareth said quietly to Michael. "They've still accepted Chappie as a priest haven't they?"</p><p>Michael reached out and pointed to the air next to them and crooked his finger, calling something. Felinoid Purrcy appeared, stepping down to the ground in front of Gareth and Brenner. Brenner took in a breath. "You can see?" Gareth asked.</p><p>Brenner bowed. Purrcy reached out her hand and touched him on the forehead and looked closely at his eyes. "It's because you saw through to the truth which is complicated and convoluted. Your mind is still trying to understand it when our physical human limitations make it difficult. When you've finally been able to expand your mental capacity enough to understand physically what you understood while as a spirit entity only, you'll be able to see clearly again.</p><p>"You've been silenced because that truth cannot be said at this time. I suspect that when they feel they can trust you to properly hold your tongue, they'll release it, but they're giving you the opportunity to work it all out first. It's easier to work out verbally after all." Brenner gave a wry look. As a trained receiver of confessions he knew that very well.</p><p>Purrcy paused. "If you do have to talk to someone about it, you must call for me. I am the only one who knows what you've learned." She didn't sound too happy about knowing it.</p><p>She leaned in and also gave Brenner a kiss on the forehead. "I am come to give sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, and healing to the sick and infirm. So said the Great Healer. Continue to lean on him, and on your friends. Even he did that when he walked as a mortal." Purrcy turned to Gareth and ruffled his hair. "Thank you, Gareth." He gave a nod and she was gone.</p><p>Reed turned to Michael, a confused look on his face. "Then, which one was that?"</p><p>Michael looked at Brenner, then turned away, not answering. Gareth also wouldn't answer. They would all have to work it out on their own. Brenner's own immediate reaction had been very telling even without Purrcy's words.</p><p>Reed grabbed Gareth's arm, making him stop. Gareth looked at him soberly, keeping his mouth shut. "Then answer at least this. Was that the Oracle?"</p><p>Gareth considered that but it was Brenner who answered with floating words again. "<em>That's close enough.</em>" Reed considered the words until they faded, then let Gareth go.</p><p>They followed Michael up the mountain to the top and waited for him to speak. "You won't be hungry until tonight, although we'll probably drop faster not being in the shrine area, so it might be before then. Same for using the bathroom. Secretary, we've got enough food for now?"</p><p>Secretary looked up and nodded. "We're set as far as each of us goes, full up." He paused, then raised a hand. "You might want to know that Izanami fought the junior kami off until they worked out a truce. It asked if it could use me on occasion so that we know how things are going and so it can learn from us, too. I'm a deacon of Izanami and an official teacher to the kami."</p><p>"Thank you, Secretary," Michael said. He got a salute back. He turned and looked up into the sky, then took a breath and called for the dragons. They came flying to settle to the ground with them. "Acolytes and deacons, kneel please." They did, with Gareth staying standing as Brenner's staff and support. "Reed, you'll repeat as best you can what I say. Brenner, you'll pray over us after that with your own words."</p><p>Michael clapped twice, bowed, and clapped again. "Inari-no-Izanami watch over these whom you've chosen as we move forward again to do what you've asked us to do. As we approach the Western Maze of Eternity, guard us and let our wits be sharp.</p><p>"I know you're both impatient for this part to be done. Help us so that we can get it done quickly for your own sakes. We'll play the game because we like to, but let's not have it drag out if it doesn't have to. Wait for us to ask for the miracles and let us be our own persons in how we plan and how we fight.</p><p>"We'll get the job done right for you. It's already our promise to you by the contract." He paused, then bowed one last time.</p><p>Reed stepped forward slightly, then clapped twice, bowed, and clapped again. There was a pause, then he said, "I have no idea why you wanted me in this position, but since I do know that you want us to play the game, I'll ask right. Keep us firm, strong, and moving forward. Stay out of our way and watch us. Watch what we can do." He bowed again. He got some quiet "hoobas" and "amens" for that one.</p><p>Brenner lifted his hand and the words of his blessing were written in the air and glowed a golden color. As he continued to write, they glowed brighter and brighter, lifting into the air and expanding until they settled as a blessing over the entire guild. Gareth looked back at Brenner and tears were dripping down his cheeks. The men behind them were sitting up watching the words to read them and some of them were also in awe. When Brenner reached the end, most of them said, "Amen."</p><p>"Thank you, Brenner," Michael said, having turned around to read the words. He turned back to Vesuvius, bowed and received a bow of the large head in return. They mounted the dragons and were headed north along the western edge of the mountains towards the City of Angels.</p><p>Gareth finally realized what it was. He said quietly on the chat. "It was the Caretaker." He could see Reed on the next dragon over nod his head. Brenner, holding on to Gareth's back shuddered, then put his head on Gareth's shoulder and wept silently.</p><p>[You've seen the Caretaker?] Vesuvius asked.</p><p>"Yes, she came and visited briefly this morning," Michael answered him since he was sitting closest to the dragon's ears.</p><p>[You are fortunate, then.] Vesuvius sounded a little disappointed to have missed her.</p><p>"Indeed," was whispered back.</p><p>Brenner finished recovering from his tears, then sat up again, still holding on to Gareth, finding the balance of riding a little difficult without sight. He lifted his hand again, but this time the words appeared in front of each member of the guild as if Shiroe was doing his text chat, and it probably was from that example. "<em>Please sing</em> Amazing Grace."</p><p>They knew he'd have started it if he had a voice. Gareth was one of the tenors in the group. He opened his mouth and began:</p><p>
  <em>Amazing grace, how sweet the sound</em><br/>
<em>That saved a wretch like me.</em>
</p><p>The other tenors joined in on the next phrase and the rest of the men at the beginning of the second verse.</p><p>
  <em>I once was lost, but now I'm found;</em><br/>
<em>Was blind, but now I see.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>T'was grace that taught my heart to fear,</em><br/>
<em>And grace my fear relieved;</em><br/>
<em>How precious did that grace appear</em><br/>
<em>The hour I first believed.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Through many dangers, toils, and snares,</em><br/>
<em>We have already come.</em><br/>
<em>T'was grace that brought us safe thus far,</em><br/>
<em>And grace will lead us home.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>When we've been here ten thousand years</em><br/>
<em>Bright shining as the sun,</em><br/>
<em>We've no less days to sing God's praise<br/>
Than when we've first begun.*</em>
</p><p>Gareth found the third verse particularly apropos to their current situation, certainly the last half of the first verse matched Brenner's position, and he'd probably appreciated the second verse as a newly made priest all over again. They were probably all hoping to not have to literally live out the last one here on Theldesia, though.</p><p>Ikiryō-Purrcy had joined them nearly as soon as Gareth had started singing and was sitting on his shoulder purring now that the song was over. Gareth could see her now when she did that and since he could also enter the spirit realm, he reached up and pet her. She licked his jaw.</p><p>Gareth was surprised when a hand lightly touched his that was petting Purrcy. Gareth paused, figuring it had to be Brenner since he was the only one that could reach. Brenner's hand left his to stroke down the apparition on his shoulder. That was enough to show that Brenner had figured out how to put his hand into the spirit realm also.</p><p>Gareth nodded. "That's what I meant. Just because you can't see in the base realm didn't mean you couldn't see other places, and since the clergy are keyed specifically to the spirit realm, it's no surprise you're seeing the spirits themselves.</p><p>"This is ikiryō-Purrcy, only since she's in cat form and only purring you can tack on the '-cat' ending. If she's full ikiryō-Purrcy, then she'll talk to you, since that's what the Vengeful Spirit technically was. When she sends just the cat, she knows what's going on but can't spare the cycles to be fully present. She heard us start to sing and came just enough to sit with us and listen in.</p><p>"Also, if you can touch me when I'm touching her, and touch her in that form, like you just did, then at some level you're a spirit realm walker. We'll have to test that more later. Don't go doing it right now while we're flying, though. Hang on tightly to me and the physical realm."</p><p>He could see Brenner's rather emphatic nodding from the corner of his eye as he turned his head a bit to make sure. Ikiryō-Purrcy-cat faded out and they rode in silence for a while.</p><p>Small words appeared in a private chat. "<em>I can see things now that I know what to look for. I can see Vesuvius under us, and you and the others here close to me. You all look different, of course, but in the same way ikiryō-Purrcy-cat looked different.</em>"</p><p>Gareth pondered that a bit, then said, "It may be a different sight than mine even, but yes, it is different a little. It helps to know the feel of a person and add that to your intent to see them. Keep working on it until we're clear, then look right.</p><p>"Lieutenant Commander Reed's on the next dragon over to the right. Try to increase your distance and see if you can pick him out. Relax and let it enter your eyes as if you were trying to see peripherally at night."</p><p>There was quiet practicing again for a while. The sun was warm on their right and the water on their left glinted as the surf came and went against the beach. Gareth stared at that for a while, wishing they could be out there instead of up here, although he liked flying a lot. "Mike, we didn't get the <em>Oki Watarimono</em> back," he said sadly.</p><p>Michael was quiet for a bit, then said on the guild chat, "Were you able to recover the <em>Wanderer</em>, then, Master Chief?"</p><p>MasterChiefS7, on their left, sat up in surprise and looked over. "Sorry. I forgot to report that in all the mess when we met back up. Yes, I was. It took our first nap for me to remember it was even a possibility at all." He gave a rueful laugh.</p><p>"When we strafed the big guy to wake it back up, I snatched it back out - with the intent that everything we didn't want got left behind. We still need to give it a good look-over, though."</p><p>"Thank you, Sir," more than one swabbie's voice said. That would have been an awful mess to scrub off a ship that big. They all relaxed a bit to know they still had their home base with them.</p><p>"<em>Having him talk helped</em>," Brenner wrote to Gareth. "<em>I was able to pick him out better from the background visual noise.</em>"</p><p>"The chatter during battle will likely help you, then, too," Gareth said quietly. Brenner nodded. He'd likely have to sit the first few out just to learn how to see and follow along, but if he could also see the psyche of monsters then he'd be able to join in on everything but verbal-component-required spells.</p><p>Gareth spent the next little while figuring out how to help Brenner be part of the chatter. They used it to know where they each were and who was going to do what where and when. He'd probably have to be the voice, but there were other ways, too.</p><p>"What noise is easy for you to make with your hands while you're in the middle of battle?" he asked. "And can you make clicks with your tongue, or is it all noise that's gone?"</p><p>Brenner shifted, then snapped with his left hand. It was quieter than the right. He could clap of course, and slap his thigh. He tried a click of the tongue and they were both pleasantly surprised when it came out. Brenner ran through the guild standards, then his own personal identifiers and they all worked, too, as long as they weren't vocalized.</p><p>Michael looked back at them. "Can you do that to answer twenty questions?" No sound came from behind Gareth and Brenner shook his head. "Thought not," Michael said shortly. "Your intent's being watched."</p><p>Gareth nodded. "But it will work for what I wanted it for. You can still chatter with us, even if you can't call out. Use the codes to let us know when you're taking your turn and so we know where you are. Then you can still battle with us once you learn to see properly."</p><p>Brenner relaxed and gave a nod. "<em>Thank you.</em>" It was simple and written, but Gareth understood. He gave a nod back. It was reciprocal. They couldn't be left behind, but they also didn't want to be left behind.</p><p>Secretary chimed in. "Gareth, have you tried a Spirit Healing yet? If it's a punishment or a lesson, it won't fix it, but it might help to make sure he's full up."</p><p>"Good point." They'd all been unhealed, actually, just leaving without it. He shook his head at himself and the rest of them. While Brenner could cast it, it would be better to have someone else do it.</p><p>Gareth cast it on everyone on the dragon, then called over the dragon Secretary was on so he could help on that side. Next was the one Bowie was on so he could take the next one over on his side. Everyone seemed to be doing better after that.</p><p>Brenner patted Gareth on the head. "<em>I can see better. More clear,</em>" he wrote. Gareth gave him a thumb's up. It was going to be mostly practice from here on, although there were a few more things to try once they were on the ground.</p>
<hr/><p>*<em>Amazing Grace</em>, John Newton, 1779. See Techno<em>Magus </em>Playlist: <a href="https://www.patreon.com/posts/38313670">https://www.patreon.com/posts/38313670</a></p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Upgrades</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was so odd to Purrcy to feel like she was back in her college level English classes, although the students in the class were more of upper high school age.</p>
<p>The current set of lectures had been about the rankings of all the levels of people of Theldesia and the Gate of Time in theological order, lowest to highest. The professor at the front of the room was droning on about the specifics of each rank within the deities, those at the top of the hierarchy. Just like every other caste had their rankings, so did they.</p>
<p>"At the forefront of them all is the ranking of TechnoMagus." Purrcy was already sitting up properly, her hands resting lightly and properly on the small desk in front of her. That much had really caught her attention, though. "The term comes from two roots: <em>tekhno</em> and <em>magush</em>." He wrote both words and they stayed in the air, one on either side of him. The full etymology lecture was next: "<em>Tekhno</em> is made from combining <em>techne</em> and <em>teks-na</em>." Those words went up next.</p>
<p>Purrcy knew the lecture was at base from the same database everything else was that the AIs and the world got information from (the copied Internet database - she'd gone to look). With a quick search, she found that this particular lecture was going to come from the Online Etymology Dictionary. It seemed a bit random what was picked specifically, but that one seemed good enough for this lecture, she supposed.</p>
<p>"<em>Techne</em> means 'art, skill, craft in one's work; a method, system, an art, or a system or method of making or doing'. <em>Teks-na-</em> is 'craft', from a form of <em>teks-</em> meaning 'to weave or too fabricate'.</p>
<p>"What that means in regards to the deities of Theldesia is that those who earn the title of TechnoMagus have worked very hard to perfect their skills. Often there is also a requirement that they have created a new way to do what they were set upon this planet to do that was different from the original path they were set on."</p>
<p>Purrcy's ear turned just a bit, slightly surprised that the programmed deities might have been able to create outside their programming already. She'd done both herself, she supposed, since she'd rather surprisingly created her own position of Caretaker it not being a pre-programmed role, necessarily, although there were plenty of deities that "took care of" things, sets of people, etc. She'd also worked very hard on all of her skill sets, and been terribly creative in how she got to do them - the Natural Adventurer part of what she'd done.</p>
<p>"<em>Magush</em> was the oldest form of what became <em>magos</em>, one of the members of the learned and priestly class. On Theldesia itself, that has been included in many other word forms, including: <em>magikos</em> or 'magical', <em>magice</em> or 'sorcery or magic', <em>magique</em> or 'magic'.</p>
<p>"Specifically we should look at the word <em>magike</em>: 'the art of influencing or predicting events and producing marvels using hidden natural forces', or sometimes simplified as 'supernatural art'. Given the natural definition of deity, all of them can be considered <em>magos</em> - or <em>magi</em> in their plurality - when that definition of <em>magike</em> is considered. "The definition of <em>magush</em> is what allows for the deans of the universities to be given the title as well, however." Students nodded their heads, understanding the logic.</p>
<p>"Thus when we combine <em>tekhno</em> and <em>magos</em> into the title of TechnoMagus, it is a title that honors their efforts to expand or perfect their required roles as set by Inari from the beginning." Purrcy had to sit and ponder that a while longer. She could see it being used for her if she considered herself a <em>magos</em> like the deans. She'd merely studied hard, practiced her skill sets and done what she needed to do, and it did include creative additions to the normal way of learning as far as Adventurers to that time had worked.</p>
<p>The rankings of Adventurers had already been covered in this class. They were considered somewhat like a lesser form of deity rather than an advanced form of Creature of the Land, falling into that middle ground between the two. Adventurers were only temporarily similar to deities in Purrcy's eyes since that's how it was to the Inari. However, to Theldesia, for now the 'infinite life' of the deities was imitated (somewhat poorly by her standards) by Adventurer resurrection. To some degree her Summon status was a similar 'cheat', although it would last past when resurrection was removed from the Adventurers, in comparison.</p>
<p>Adventurer's massive strength in comparison to People of the Land, and the rules of Adventurer Change and Quest Right of Choice (so that anyone had to request an Adventurer to do things), and other specific traits discussed in detail in that class were similar requirements for how others interacted with deities. It was a large body of individuals, though, rather than one individual, so in that regard they weren't considered specifically "a deity", but rather a group of people with deific qualities. Given she'd pushed the limits of being an Adventurer, it certainly made sense to have been awarded TechnoMagus for that level.</p>
<p>That put her at an honorable level of sub-deity. Nyanta-Izanagi would not be pleased if that was what Purrcy's take-away was, though, so she sighed and thought it through from the other side. As Oracle and one who could search the internet with impunity she could influence and predict events within her realm of influence like the other deities. She more often felt like that was the Inari working through her. They'd been training her until now with the increasing responsibilities, though, to be the initiator of that influence. As she'd told Michael, she felt it was because they were amusing themselves with allowing her to be the small random chance generator piece of the game system.</p>
<p>Being able to use the internet database and the underlying computer program in her magic would be considered supernatural to the other deities of the planet, maybe even to the Inari to some degree although other Adventurers could be taught it as well. Casting pseudocode magic also produced marvels using the base hidden natural force of Theldesia, perhaps in the most basic and natural way possible on the planet. She still had no idea if even she was going to be able to keep that skill.</p>
<p>When the Adventurers were dropped the minor level from deific to creature, she would remain that deific individual Adventurer (a lonely and very uncomfortable thought). At base there was one problem with her being able to analyze the issue from this direction.</p>
<p>"Eminence Purrcy," the professor called on her, as he often did since he was of the mindset that she needed to logically prove why she was there and her place in things. It wasn't surprising that he was the professor of this very subject: to some degree his own mental survival depended on knowing exactly where everyone fit and why.</p>
<p>"Yes, Sensei?" she answered.</p>
<p>"As an assignment, I'd like for you to return tomorrow with a written exposition on where exactly you fit into all of this given the lectures we've had on the topic."</p>
<p>"Yes, Sensei," she answered, "however, I have one complication that I need clarified before I can even begin to formulate a proper argument for any conclusion or other, although I'd be willing to complete it without claiming any standing position if you'd still find that acceptable."</p>
<p>"And that would be?" he asked archly, with a slightly raised eyebrow that barely lifted above his spectacles.</p>
<p>"If the requirement for TechnoMagus, of which title I've already been gifted, is that the recipient has shown great effort in building up their skills in regards to what they'd been assigned by the Inari to do, then I must be told by them what it is they've assigned me to do. Until now, I've worked very hard to be the best Adventurer I can be, and better actually; however, that isn't what they've asked me to <em>do</em>.</p>
<p>"They've asked me to be Caretaker, but as of yet they haven't defined for me what that actually means. As we've already pointed out, I would be considered a new deity, if I'm a deity at all, but I believe that under normal circumstances the role of any specific deity is assigned at the time of creation of that new deity.</p>
<p>"In my case, they've been training me as we go. I have no idea what it is they expect from me in the end. I suppose I could come at the assignment from the assumption that they're still experimenting to see what level an Adventurer can even attain. Suppositions would have to be woven throughout because of that assumption, leaving the proof still inconclusive at this point."</p>
<p>The professor blustered for a moment, then finally asked, "Have you asked directly yet? Would they perhaps be willing to tell you at this time?"</p>
<p>Purrcy raised her eyebrow at him slightly. "For the sake of a mere class assignment?" She left him wiggling uncomfortably for a while, then said, "Well, there are times when I bring such issues as we've been discussing in class to the High Priest and he is very interested in me being able to discern the answers. I'll take it home today and discuss it with him and we'll see what I'll be allowed to bring with me tomorrow."</p>
<p>The professor bowed slightly, not really supposed to do that, but in this case he was being let off the hook by an irritated Inari and was very relieved. "That should be more than sufficient," he responded.</p>
<p>Purrcy let him move on and escape the topic. It was the very same one that the deities in the Court of Gods wanted the answer to, and she had no better answer for them. She was still an enigma to the Gate of Time, with power over all of them when it came to protecting herself and her family. No other deity could affect another one in the same way, save Inari over the rest of them.</p>
<p>In that way she was between Inari and them. Everything else spoke to her being between the Adventurers and them. That was the smallest window of understanding they'd been able to narrow it down to until this time. Even the definitions of TechnoMagus hadn't been able to resolve it any better.</p>
<p>Purrcy sighed to herself. Really, Human, Beta Test Subject, and Summon were what she was when it came to the Inari. Nowhere in any of that was even the remotest hint of "goddess". How horribly difficult and confusing.</p>
<p>In the end, she'd much rather be curled up in her bed with her children, or even on the comfortable chair on the balcony reading them a book with Nyanta sitting nearby watching with his quiet pride.</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>"I'm not sure Hahaue has even now resolved the issue to her satisfaction," MeowLi said to the guild as they sat around talking at the end of dinner time. "The Court of Gods finally had to just deal with her as if she were slightly above them, since that was how she related to them, scolding them like they were her children, particularly when they'd earned it."</p>
<p>"It sounds like she's never left her stance from even when she was here, then," Shiroe said with a faint smile as he pushed up his glasses. "Grumpy old human woman who lives life unapologetically." Akatsuki nodded her head solemnly several times.</p>
<p>"Most likely," MeowLi agreed. "There was a time where I was tempted to disbelieve her claim to non-deity. She was only vulnerable with us her children and husband, although as I properly considered later while sitting in that same class she had taken, that was likely the proper way for the Caretaker to be since her main role was to be a mother. It was one of her lessons to us that made me understand a little better."</p>
<p>MeowLi took a sip of her drink, her meal finished already and the dishes put away in the kitchen for her by likely Minori, or perhaps Akatsuki. It was a rare night the boarders weren't present for the meal, so they'd asked her for some stories.</p>
<p>"While Hahaue would always come visit with us every evening for the dinner meal and put us to bed, rarely was she the one who watched over us during the day. Usually if it was any of her aspects, it was the High Priestess. That seemed a bit of an odd waste of her precious time so one time at dinner, Setsubou asked her why."</p>
<p>MeowLi frowned a bit and shifted. "I remember it because it was the first time Hahaue wouldn't let Chichue answer a question, even though it took her a long time to say the words.</p>
<p>"She said, 'We've told you that we are Adventurers, but you won't understand what that means until we return to linear Time'. She was so serious. 'You children are the First children of Adventurers on all Theldesia. You've been taught by Priestess Meghan that you're a blessing of Inari, and you are their gift. Inari wishes to understand if the gift it's given Theldesia is truly a blessing'."</p>
<p>MeowLi shivered. "She was so careful and so serious. Hahaue isn't most of the time, you know, when it's just Hahaue. I'm not sure the others understood quite so well since she began a careful scolding then.</p>
<p>"She told us that Inari wouldn't protect us from our own choices, but would let us fall or stand on our own. Only if we crossed the boundary it set for all creations on Theldesia would it act, and that would be to kill us before we could cause irreparable harm to the path it had set for Theldesia. That woke up the more aware of my siblings.</p>
<p>"Hahaue stressed again that Inari held no emotions for or against us. It wouldn't bend to, nor reply with, the drama of the city or any member of it. It would only watch us to see what we did. If we made others hate us, it wouldn't hate as well, but it also wouldn't prevent those who hated us from killing us. If we tried to make Inari love us, it would answer our prayers as it saw fit the same as for any creation on the planet, giving us no extra favors.</p>
<p>"By the time she was done, even the most wild of us was sober. We had all learned some pride and hubris, being doted on by the temple staff and buttered up by those of the city who wanted something from us or our parents. That day, she taught us to see life more realistically."</p>
<p>MeowLi sighed and sat back, curling up her legs under her. "I'm not sure what my siblings did after that with the knowledge she gave us. For myself, I used the times I could feel the High Priestess watching me as my reminders that I was still only a creation like all other creations on the planet, and would always take just a moment to consider all my actions, to see if they'd been sufficiently humble to not make others wish I wasn't present on the face of it.</p>
<p>"I spent more time after that watching Chichiue to learn his balance of grace, pride, and humility. He didn't make enemies, but he also didn't bend his head to the pressure of outside influences. When my youngest brother was having difficulties, I sat and explained it to him and he also watched Chichiue after that.</p>
<p>"The other two found their own ways to deal with it, and Hahaue would often sit with them and gently teach them, with varying levels of success. Sometimes she'd pull in Chichiue, or send them to him, because sometimes they could hear his words better." She shook her head. "It was not an easy thing to grow up a very public child of the Gate of Time."</p>
<p>"I'd imagine not," Shiroe was sympathetic and Tetorō was in complete agreement.</p>
<p>MeowLi looked from her hands into the distance. "We certainly learned discretion and how to protect ourselves with silence and meaningless pleasantries, however."</p>
<p>"Useful skills, those," Tetorō said dryly, also looking into the distance as if not committing to anything - in the obvious fashion of another child of high society. MeowLi had to let the lift of her whiskers out. Such a shared experience was very dryly humorous to those who'd lived it.</p>
<p>"We did live for those evenings with Hahaue and Chichiue, though. Even he wasn't present often during the day, once we were in lessons with the tutors. He needed to keep the Court of Gods stable until Hahaue's training was completed, and had his own work to do.</p>
<p>"As soon as we could sit still and listen quietly he was taking even us to the Court of Gods to learn just what it was to come under their difficult scrutiny. We were in severe lessons on how to defend ourselves from the various methods of information seeking we would come under until we got very good at saying only, 'we would both have to die if I answered you at this time'. Since they already were just that afraid of Inari and both the High Priest and High Priestess, they would relent."</p>
<p>"Did they ever try to hold any of you hostage?" Naotsugu asked.</p>
<p>MeowLi shivered. "Once. It was Meiki that had been taken. We were shocked until we saw that Chichiue was very afraid. That would have scared us, but it was what he was afraid of that was worse." She squeezed her eyes shut for just a moment, then opened her eyes again, looking soberly at Naotsugu.</p>
<p>"He was looking at Hahaue and the dark aura around her was darker than even the worst of the war and death gods, with sparks of angry red through it. He attempted to plead with her, but wasn't able to get any words out, although he tried. In the end he could only warn her, 'if you kill them you have to do their job'.</p>
<p>"I would have laughed, and we sometimes did later once it wasn't a frightening memory any more, since we all knew she hated what she did already and didn't want to have to do any more work than she'd already been given.</p>
<p>"It worked, though. She only demoted the offending god for ten years, removing all of his clergy and household from him, cutting him off from all of his worshipers and starving him of power for those ten years, and made him a servant in our household's chicken and pig stalls where she could watch him day and night."</p>
<p>She paused, shivered again, then said, "After that we were approached and pressured regularly like before, and when we were finally in university often students of families under other deities were sent to try as well, but we were never touched or taken again.</p>
<p>"Even if Inari wouldn't protect us from our choices, we knew that Hahaue would protect us from anyone else's unwise decisions. That made it easier to go to university, actually. Otherwise I think we might have begged to continue to be tutored in the temple and not leave it. It was often just too difficult to face the city."</p>
<p>Tetorō patted MeowLi's head sympathetically. "She is very scary when angry. We were fortunate that she didn't have to become that while here in Akiba, although she almost made a hole in the ground, twice. We worked hard to make sure she stayed as calm as possible, even in scary situations like that. Inari kept her locked down when it was at its worst, though. If Inari let her act to protect you in that way, it was likely because it wanted to see just what the scary Hahaue looked like."</p>
<p>MeowLi wrinkled her nose. "Most likely, since that experimentation was still going on even when I left them."</p>
<p>"And will continue on for some time, most likely," Shiroe agreed. He waved his hand. "We've got a meeting in a few minutes. Let's get the chores done quickly." MeowLi was glad for even a little time to chat on other topics during the clean up, and she stayed up until the boarders returned home to talk to them so she had company until her guild family could return to the common room to keep her company again.</p>
<p>She was glad, though, that Hahaue had told her the last time she'd been too lonely that it would be okay to talk about most of her time in the linear Gate of Time. Being able to remember out loud with others helped her feel more like she was really with family.</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>The Eagles were now close to the zone the western U.S. Maze of Eternity was in. The dragons had been all too willing to drop to the ground, staying low even now they were on the ground and the most frightened of them going small. The yellow-green and the green had gone small enough to sit on shoulders and wrap tails around necks. That had to be calibrated so there wasn't choking, but then they were allowed to stay.</p>
<p>Michael had finally ordered Halti to do the same and sit with Reed so they could protect her for Vesuvius' sake. They couldn't order the proud dark blue or the king of dragons to do the same, but they did shrink in size as to not be quite so obvious targets.</p>
<p>Gareth put up a spirit shield around the group and Michael let Brian the Vengeful Spirit out just long enough for them to go over the plan with him one more time. Once he was put back in the ring, Brian the undead was let out and told the plan.</p>
<p>He was somewhat nervous about being the bait, but they reassured him several times they'd already done it all and had him safely with them. When they had his buy-in, Schedules took over. He was the master of illusions and disguises. When he was done with Brian, they had two Stiletto's. They were about the same size so that worked out well, too.</p>
<p>"Right then. Ready?" Michael looked at Brian. Brian swallowed and gave a nod. Michael took him by the arm and stepped back through time, watching carefully as he went. Gareth kept watch over Michael and the rest watched him.</p>
<p>As soon as Michael saw the Devourer appear keeping watch over the Maze of Eternity, he prepared himself, watching himself in reverse. At the proper time, he merged the timeline he was watching with his own to actually live in his own timeline what he had just watched in reverse.</p>
<p>"So, there it is," Michael said.</p>
<p>Brian looked around, then cowered as he looked up. "We were calling it the 'Devourer'."</p>
<p>"No doubt," Michael said as dry as the Nevada desert. "Feel free to let all your real emotions out. Stiletto is very frightened of things like this. No need to hold back." He stepped them out of the boundary between and they appeared standing on the ground very near the Devourer. Brian flinched.</p>
<p>"You know the rule for breaking trust with the guild, Stiletto." It was very menacing and cold. "Traitors meet a traitor's death, and in this place we'll keep going with them as long as we need to."</p>
<p>"But, I didn't, Sir, I really didn't!" Brian clawed at Michael's shirt, trying to cling to him. "Please, don't do this."</p>
<p>Michael hit him hard and Brian fell to the ground. Coldly, Michael drew his sword and took Brian down to 1HP. "Live and die in hell," he said and took the final HP. He watched as the anima of Brian the undead went up in bubbles. The psyche however, merely floated in space in front of him. The purification of the attacks had turned him into a Vengeful Spirit. They hadn't done any real damage.</p>
<p>The HP movement on the falsified status windows was falsified as well. Undead didn't have HP to take from them. Only purification attacks worked on them. However, he was at base an Adventurer. Having taken away what anima he did have left him a spirit. Since Michael had done it to him, he was a Vengeful Spirit instead of a Wraith.</p>
<p>Michael stepped into the spirit realm. "Well done." He patted Brian on the head. "Now, run. Stay along the coast line as best you can. Look for our ship. It's a two-wheel paddlewheel coming into the Central American coast in or just past Mexico. Don't get caught." He looked at the Devourer, now headed their way quite interested in the snack. Brian's breath caught, and he ran. Michael stepped back to his present time-space.</p>
<p>Stiletto now looked like a felinoid, a young black and white. "Hope that's a spell you can keep up," Michael raised an eyebrow. Both Stiletto and Schedules nodded. "Shiroe didn't tell me that Nyanta-san had met you, although that's not to say he didn't, if you didn't tell him who you were. If a future him put this on you, you can't kill him. It's really confusing at first so take it slow." Michael tipped his head. "Are you really sure you want this? It might have been you yourself hating having to be left there alone and now you've begun your own nightmare cycle."</p>
<p>"You'll come get me when you're done here," Stiletto said firmly.</p>
<p>"We all hope," Michael said. He paused, then said, "The name of the person who could see and act just well enough to push Schedules out was Chatwick Theowald. Chat me once you're in, but intend for the me of the sixth level we just left behind us, when I was there to learn my lessons for time walking. Stay where I put you in hiding until that me gets to you."</p>
<p>Stiletto paused, then said, "I'll need to follow him."</p>
<p>Michael sighed. "That's not how it really works there. You'll understand after you're in it. I'm not liking this at all, Stil." Stiletto wasn't going to back down or relent. "If you end up crossing the veil somehow, and getting into the non-linear Gate of Time, crawl your way to the closest place you can find. You'll drop out when the battle for Time is fought.</p>
<p>"If you're close enough to the boundary where you went in, you'll be able to meet up with us again, but you should wait until after the time I put you in - meaning you'll just have to stay alive long enough for us to get out of this dungeon and come find where you got dropped out. If I'm wrong and you end up still in the city, try to get out near the Mayan door. Follow us up when we arrive and meet us outside the Maze of Eternity on exit. You don't want to cross yourself coming and going."</p>
<p>"I understand," Stiletto said soberly. He shook hands with Bowie and Black Jack, took a breath, and nodded at Michael. Michael took him by the arm and spacial stepped them to the place they'd exited the Gate of Time. He carefully deposited Stiletto back into the Gate of Time, whispered a good luck and a, "Don't move!" and stepped back out.</p>
<p>With a sigh, he left the Gate of Time, then stepped back to the place he and Stiletto had just left, intending to arrive after they'd left just in case something strange had happened in the brief time he'd been at the edge of the Gate of Time. He also paid attention to feeling the tug of Gareth on him that was his anchor to let him know he was in the right place and time.</p>
<p>"Right, then. Off we go to our part of all this," he said when he stepped out. He paused long enough to do the proper reality check with Gareth, then they were on the move.</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>Stiletto was just as happy to not move. He was still trying to come to grips with his new upgraded skill. He'd known from Gareth's story that even deacons could get the upgrades, but he'd not expected anything quite so large as his felt to him.</p>
<p>He'd had to listen hard to Michael's lessons to the priests on a repeat to get the help he needed. He was seeing rainbows and multiple images around everything and it had blinded him as much as he thought he'd heard them say Chappie was.</p>
<p>Intending them to go away, like putting away the status screen had helped some, but it was like slightly fogging the window instead of having the bright lights reflecting off of mirrors all around him. It was so distracting he had to focus very hard just to pay attention to people who talked to him. He had a mission, though, and that helped him, too, to stay focused.</p>
<p>Until his initiation, his Programmer-gifted skill was called Aural Dweller. He'd no idea what that meant, but it had let him learn how to be a real Shadow, let him Hide just about anywhere, even in full sun on an empty street (if he was very careful with his intent), Phase through walls and barriers magic or physical, and walk Unseen without the Hide attached (though it had been helpful to have had the one while he learned the other).</p>
<p>He could Disguise himself instantly like putting on a different outfit naturally only over his whole avatar, and his most useful: All-Sight. That one let him look through anything solid or not. He'd seen things surrounded by light then, when he used All-Sight. This upgrade was like All-Sight on steroids. He saw everything, in every realm, all at once, and surrounded by varying grades of rainbows instead of just light.</p>
<p>Stiletto had been experimenting with it while they traveled through the air and he didn't have to pay attention to anything else (a good thing as he'd barely managed to walk from the initiation site to getting on the dragon). The higher the level of a person or creature, the bigger and brighter the rainbow was. Or perhaps it would be more correct to say the more "sparkly" they were. Bright lights were always bright - it was hard to see gradations of that - but they did glint and sparkle more.</p>
<p>He knew he was also seeing all the realms at once because when Michael had started moving through them, he'd still been able to see Michael when the rest couldn't. It was most disturbing that he was also seeing the realm of time. That was no joke. He wanted to be here in the Gate of Time for that most of all.</p>
<p>He <em>had</em> to learn how to see and navigate that realm before he could be effective anywhere else. He'd wait obediently here without moving until the Michael of the sixth level arrived, then ask him to teach him how to do it, or at the very least ask him to put him back through the veil so he could learn it from the professionals.</p>
<p>Stiletto wasn't afraid, so much as needing the training. The gift upgrade gave him one other skill. He was tempted to call it "Instruction Manual", but that wasn't quite right. It was an instinctive knowledge of what he was seeing. If something moving caught his eye (which happened regularly), he <em>knew</em> which realm it was in and if it was a danger and to what level (imminent, potential, that sort of thing). Just knowing how and where to place everything helped calm him quite a lot.</p>
<p>When it came to the realm of Time, that <em>knowing</em> helped him hold firm to his own linear time-line. He <em>knew</em> which one he was <em>supposed</em> to be in and which one was the "real" current him.</p>
<p>He practiced "turning off" the rest of the other time lines (past and future) while he crouched there at the inner border of the linear Gate of Time. It was intent and hope still, not yet something he could really do at this early stage of the game. Gareth hadn't been wrong to say that the upgrades were sometimes more trouble than they were worth.</p>
<p>He was just starting to wonder why Michael had dropped him into the linear Gate of Time when the Michael he'd called for showed up. "Is this our First meeting in the linear Gate of Time?" Michael asked.</p>
<p>Stiletto blinked in surprise at the odd greeting. "It's <em>my</em> First time."</p>
<p>"Very good," Michael answered. "When you see me again, tell me this exactly and nothing else: 'Watch a Persian guard named Matthias. I need evidence enough to convict him.' That me will send you through the veil. Here is my answer, since you'll need to know it."</p>
<p>He proceeded to data dump and Stiletto had to let go and relax and just receive it, he was so surprised to hear things he didn't know he needed to learn. Matthias wasn't the name he'd been given before entering the Gate of Time, after all. He'd just have to hang on to it as best he could, though, and trust what was going on until he could get caught up.</p>
<p>When Michael was done, he said, "Don't move. I'll come to you here. See you 'round." That was confusing, too, but since Michael had said he'd put him through the veil, which was what Stiletto wanted, he obediently stayed put again, this time sorting through the information he'd been given so he could hold on to it better. Then he focused back on his intent to get through the veil to get to his target.</p>
<p>As soon as he did that, Michael was in front of him again, this time on the other side of him. Stiletto blinked a few times again, but his gift was telling him that everything was still fine. It was a good thing, since Michael reached out and grabbed hold of him as if to hold him still. The physical contact helped Stiletto center a little back on being present. Maybe he'd been about to slip into a different realm.</p>
<p>It was possible since he was seeing them all and was finally getting some additional knowledge that made his upcoming lessons all the more important. He could tell, he <em>knew</em>, how to walk in them all. If he stepped "just so", he'd be there. Michael's hold on him kept him from following through just at the moment, and that was a good thing. Stiletto had to focus hard on Michael again. He was saying important things about how to stay alive in the non-linear Gate of Time.</p>
<p>As Michael wrapped it up, Stiletto confirmed he had it all recorded, since he'd missed a few parts. Michael ended with, "If you still need me, contact me as yourself, and I'll help you. I'll be here in this place from this moment of time. I work in the Temple of Time as a guard."</p>
<p>Stiletto nodded, finally having the opportunity to say what he was supposed to say. "Watch a Persian guard named Matthias. I need evidence enough to convict him." Michael gave a nod and lifted Stiletto to standing, his hand still on Stiletto's arm, and pushed him sideways two steps. Just as Stiletto's eyes and <em>knowing</em> were trying to catch up to the sudden newness, his arm was released and Michael's presence was gone.</p>
<p>Stiletto immediately stepped into the safest realm in that spot he was in, since it was a very dangerous spot to be in. His panic and his <em>knowing</em> combined and kept him moving forward (and sideways and into this realm then that one) until he reached a space that was the equivalent of an empty warehouse that would be safe for a while.</p>
<p>He closed his eyes and just breathed for a while, trying to get his heart to calm down. That had been the most chaotic thing he'd ever had to live through, and his brain had put him through a lot of that in its time. Normal life on Earth was the most chaos he'd had to live before this moment just past.</p>
<p>When he opened his eyes, he automatically checked his status. It was a neurotic tic he'd picked up to make sure he was still on Theldesia, still walking around moving and "living". His eyes scanned through his general data, then through the skill list, then froze.</p>
<p>He had another new sub-skill: Astral Walk. His eyebrows furrowed as he stared at it. Why that? Hadn't he just realm walked? Why wasn't it Realm Walk like Michael's? He mused on that, going back over what he'd just done, then compared it to what Michael did and then shook his head.</p>
<p>What Michael did was like taking hikes through each realm. He could do two at once now - time and space - but most of the time he stuck to one realm at a time. Stiletto had just danced through all of them, in comparison, as if he were playing an esoteric game of Twister. Just like he had no barriers of movement in the physical realm as an Aural Dweller before the upgrade, he now had no barriers of movement between realms with the upgrade.</p>
<p>It made him wonder what the final Class would be. They'd all seen Gareth's skill move up to Spiritualist Class once he had his lessons under his belt. With a deep breath, Stiletto pulled up his history and rewound it to Michael's lecture again.</p>
<p>It was time to get to working on his own lessons. He'd find out what his Class was by the time he left here, or he'd be tossed out on his ear by the squad - or lost in the realms completely. Really...the realm of time was no joke. It was no wonder the Inari had wanted it settled down and moving properly before things fell apart completely.</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>The Eagles had picked a base camp location by the time Michael returned to join them. They sat in huddle. The first thing they had to do was figure out how to get rid of the large numbers of Overwritten surrounding the Maze of Eternity.</p>
<p>They decided to start with what they'd used so far: a surrounding purification attack. Michael warned them that it might take longer since the area to cover and the numbers of Overwritten and Eagles was higher. They all set up the most secure shields they could.</p>
<p>It was in vain. With that many Overwritten, the odds were against them not being seen by at least one of the Overwritten. When the poor Eagle that was seen and attacked went down, they all went down on the rebound. When they resurrected at their base camp instead of some random city in the middle of the country, they were mildly surprised.</p>
<p>"So what's up with that?" was asked.</p>
<p>They sat in silence for a bit until Bowie said, "The whole west coast event we're on makes wherever we're camped our campaign respawn point."</p>
<p>"Okay. How'd you come up with that?" he was pointedly asked.</p>
<p>Bowie was quiet for a bit, then sighed. "At the Higan graduation, my skill of Intuition was uncovered. That's what let me know things with intuitive guesses. That got an up at this past clergy upgrade and now it's the Gift of Knowledge. I sat here meditating on that question for a bit and the answer came. That's what it is."</p>
<p>They thought about that for a bit, judging whether it was okay or not until one finally said, "Well, as long as it stays that and doesn't slip to Oracle."</p>
<p>Bowie swore and hit the speaker, hard. "Just kill me until I'm really dead if that happens!" he glared with much swearing mixed in around the edges. They let him alone, but they'd use him, and he knew that, too - <em>without</em> the Gift.</p>
<p>That did lead to them pausing to make everyone list off their newest upgrades, though, since they needed to know what new tools they had in their arsenal.</p>
<p>"This is going to be difficult," one muttered.</p>
<p>"What's that?" another asked.</p>
<p>With a sigh, the first answered. "We were already difficult to beat. Now we're all that there is for the Maze. How're we supposed to defeat ourselves at the end?" That was a depressing question and they tabled it, but it left worry worms in the pits of their stomachs. They'd be thinking that one over in their sleeping bags every night until they got that far.</p>
<p>After a bit, Michael calmed them. "I'll use that as the last miracle request if I need to. If the room's already full of Overwritten that surely can be considered enough." With sighs to let out the worry worms, everyone nodded in relief. That would work. "If the lot of you will make that a hopeful intent starting now, that would help us get the reward in the end." The worry worms were replaced with fervent hope and desire - the unspoken prayer they always held, second to the one to get home that went even deeper.</p>
<p>"Moving forward, just how do we get rid of the Overwritten outside the Maze?" Reed brought it back to what they were supposed to be thinking about and they got busy throwing out ideas.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. First Half of the West US Maze of Eternity</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Eagles dropped where they were as the final Overwritten went down. They slept deeply for four hours and only slowly started waking up at about six. It had been a thirty-six hour battle without let-up. It felt like the Overwritten had been increased in volume every time they'd thought they were getting to the end.</p>
<p>"Did we draw them to us since we're the only living Adventurers in the area?" one asked as they were finally all awake and eating again.</p>
<p>"Probably," Michael answered dryly. "They are keyed to find us, after all, and they had the time to get here in waves like that. It will be interesting to see how many are left on the west coast now."</p>
<p>"Not," one muttered. They still had to go inside the Maze and they were already done fighting Overwritten.</p>
<p>Michael let them take the rest of that day off to recover mentally. When they were done with the initial exploration as deep into the first level as they could get, the Eagles gathered at the entrance. The three priests stood before the rest of them, who were bowed to the earth - again.</p>
<p>The three clapped, bowed, and clapped - again. Michael went first - again. "Izanami, we're ready to enter the West U.S. Maze of Eternity. Please forgive us and allow us to fight in the Maze without purifying everything. We don't want to create an imbalance or leave a dangerous situation behind us, nor do we want to anger Izanagi.</p>
<p>"These manholes are protected for a reason by the standard monsters. We just want the Overwritten gone, like the both of you do. Let us still purify by intent if we need to, since we are now your clergy on this side of the world and I'm sure we'll still need that option as we go. Please hear our request." He bowed and Reed gave his simpler form of prayer with a similar request - again.</p>
<p>Brenner didn't need Gareth to be his guide anymore, having learned how to see in the spirit realm sufficiently to get around generally, but he still couldn't talk, so his prayer was by written glowing lines of text - again. When he was done asking Izanami to forgive them and grant them the same blessing, he bowed, then raised his hand again.</p>
<p>This time, he wrote a prayer to the God of all, asking for blessings of strength, clear minds, and inspiration to be upon all of them as they fought in the dungeon, and included at the end blessings for each of their families on Earth, Log Horizon, and Nyanta, Purrcy, and their family.</p>
<p>The men gave their "Amens" at the end, then rose to their feet and pulled out weapons and armor. For all they were ever so ready to return to being pilots, they headed in to do their duty as armsmen - once again.</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>The final boss of the first level went down by the end of that day. It had been a full day of work, but nowhere near as bad as what they'd done to get inside. It was nice to just have a "normal" dungeon to work for once. They settled down, setting up camp right there in that room.</p>
<p>Suddenly there was a mechanical voice, like a computer voice that seemed somewhat familiar. "Rolling one D20. ... The Vengeful Spirit hits. The Vengeful Spirit hits. The Vengeful Spirit hits."</p>
<p>By the second time they were all looking around quickly. By the third they'd all locked on to Clocktower, who was backing up and defending himself. As Clocktower quickly pulled out his bow and an arrow, Brenner marked in the base realm where the Vengeful Spirit was and Gareth had started a spirit purification spell going. "Turn two. The Vengeful Spirit curses."</p>
<p>Clocktower froze and held his arrow so as to not waste an arrow in case he'd been the one just cursed. Quickly he called out, "I hold my action until the end of the turn." Reed cast a high-level Purification spell on him, clearing any cursing. Gareth was obviously going to have to use this "second turn" on his spell casting. That meant it was someone else's turn.</p>
<p>Three mirror boxes surrounded the Vengeful Spirit, five binding cantrips went off around it, two defensive shields went up around Clocktower. Clocktower's partner, OciferJeff, was closest to him and he swung with his war ax, slicing through the space the marked Vengeful Spirit was standing in. The points of purification glowed in the air over the Vengeful Spirit.</p>
<p>"Damn. We even have to live the real-life turn-based computer game." OciferJeff muttered under his breath.</p>
<p>"Never thought I'd see that old game show up anywhere," Michael shook his head. "What are you doing bringing up old PC games like that, you crazy woman, to bring NetHack into this?" He got a "+15" over his head for guessing it right and even knowing what it was to begin with, even though that was only the basis with so many other things mixed up in the bucket.</p>
<p>The rest were impressed since they'd never heard of it before. Well, as impressed as they could get with something so out of left field. "Go, Clocktower, we don't need it erased before we get through the door."</p>
<p>Clocktower released the arrow he had a Hama Ya intent building up on. It disappeared into a blast of light as it entered the Vengeful Spirit. They were relieved when the status on the Vengeful Spirit showed it still had points of life left.</p>
<p>"Don't kill it Gareth," Reed ordered quickly. His spell would be next to go off in the "third turn". Gareth silently shook his head, quickly coding a modification to the spell he'd started.</p>
<p>"The Vengeful Spirit is Confused." As soon as he was done with the modification, Gareth cast, the rest sitting out the turn.</p>
<p>The Vengeful Spirit appeared as a glowing apparition in the base realm. Brenner had been moving over. He reached out and took hold of the arm of the Vengeful Spirit and held on. Gareth headed over at a trot and joined them, taking hold of the other arm of the Vengeful Spirit. "Why have you attacked us?" he asked.</p>
<p>A thin voice answered them. "No good thing exists in this world, and no Adventurer can be trusted. I don't know why I was dragged here just now, but to find anyone here of Adventurer status made me very angry."</p>
<p>"Well, it's understandable that any Adventurer made to lose his body for this long would be upset," Compliance agreed.</p>
<p>"No. From the beginning it's been dog eat dog, every man for himself."</p>
<p>The Eagles blinked. "Seriously?"</p>
<p>"Seriously," the Vengeful Spirit answered. "We tried to band up early, but too many people wanted everyone else to do all the work, since it was now real. When it was a game, it was easy to point and click. No one had any idea how hard it was to actually learn to swing a sword, or plow the ground.</p>
<p>"The few who enjoyed that and were willing got pressured into taking care of the rest. That made them refuse to babysit eventually, so the rest all started pressuring each other until there was a hierarchy. The lowest made to do the work they hated slipped away until there wasn't anyone around to do any of the work."</p>
<p>The Vengeful Spirit was bitter. "By the time the July Fourth Special came, there wasn't anyone who would defend any but their own. The few fighting guilds tried to defend themselves, but it wasn't enough. Only if we'd have worked together could we have done anything at all, and even then it looked hopeless. We were completely overwhelmed, and our own division killed us."</p>
<p>There was silence for a while as the Eagles digested that. "And I would think that doesn't even cover a small portion of what went on around here," Michael finally said quietly, folding his arms and looking like his stomach was churning. "I'd guess the People of the Land were abused as well until either dead or they ran."</p>
<p>"As you say," the Vengeful Spirit said dryly. "The riots were the worst. The killing was random and a lot of them got caught in it on the wrong side of the rampaging Adventurers. Our guild set up in one of the local villages and kept them alive so they could feed us. That worked for a while, until one of us decided he was going to be on top and used lies and subterfuge to get us all fighting each other since we weren't about to just hand it over.</p>
<p>"By the time we were already not trusting each other it was too late to salvage the guild and the special hit us." Angrily, he added, "We took him out before the rest of us were, letting him know just how we felt about it - those of us who weren't cool with it anyway. We'd still be fighting, likely, since we were divided. He'd bought enough supporters in the group."</p>
<p>Michael and Reed shared a glance. "Well. So, if you could have one thing right now, what would it be?" Michael offered.</p>
<p>"A cigarette," the Vengeful Spirit said immediately. "Miss those things, even after all this time."</p>
<p>Ground Safety walked up and a single cigarette flicked out from his fingers. "Here. We found a source."</p>
<p>The Vengeful Spirit reached out eagerly and snatched up the cigarette. Both disappeared and the door to the second level appeared in the wall. Everyone slumped with several collapsing on the floor again. "Well, hell. That's not going to be a good thing, getting this place cleared out and fixed up, is it?" Electrical complained. QA shook his head in agreement.</p>
<p>Michael sighed. He gave the sign for "circle up" and crouched to put one arm on a knee. The rest pulled up floor around him. "So, Purrcy warned me it was going to be hard, bringing them back. I've been thinking about it. Every city attached to the west server that still has a Cathedral is going to have Adventurers show up all at once and the chaos is likely to start all over.</p>
<p>"We're going to have to divide and conquer if we want to get everyone organized enough to mobilize. And we're going to have to promise a short time between resurrection and final resolution. They're already all going to starve with no food anywhere west of the Colorado and Green Rivers." Eagles shook heads. It was a difficult situation, for sure.</p>
<p>"I think if we can get them on board around common goals, they'll move forward. It's getting buy-in from everyone that will be hardest. I need Admin and Training to work up the speech we need to give and the convincing arguments. We'll split up into teams that will move out as soon as the repairs to the tree are going.</p>
<p>"Maintenance, we'll leave you here in the Tree of Life room to get the repairs done while we head to the cities. Safety will be on guard duty outside the Maze to make sure Maintenance isn't interrupted by unhappy Adventurers wanting to be Vengeful Spirits again.</p>
<p>"Charlie, you'll stay with them as Central Com here. I'll spend some of the rest time we've got before then to go walking to all the Adventurer cities on the map to see which ones are still living and have working Cathedrals."</p>
<p>Michael looked over to P/R. "You and I will be going by time and by space to all the Adventurer cities that we aren't enough to cover with everyone else when it comes time to passing on the world quests. We don't know how far this extends back towards the east, but we've got to go check at least as far as the Rockies, since that's how big the western region extends."</p>
<p>"That's a lot on you," Reed frowned at Michael. Because the game had been started in the States and was quite popular there, the number of Adventurer cities was rather high in comparison to the other countries.</p>
<p>Michael shook his head. "Yeah, but it's necessary. I'm hoping the central parts between the Sierras and Rockies are more mellow. That's harsh farm land except the big cities. You know what farm boys are like." Since plenty of them had come from farming communities, they did.</p>
<p>"<em>Plus that strip is the largest population of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,</em>" Brenner wrote.</p>
<p>Michael nodded. "They're like everyone else, but they're also used to following leadership and generally have hearts for service. I don't know what percentage of gamers in that part of the country are part of that demographic, but even a small percent would get us allies."</p>
<p>Reed's frown went away, but he was still concerned. They all were, really. They were going to be heading all of the world quests all in one fell swoop, without much of a rest break in between.</p>
<p>The group assigned to get the words together sat up extra that night to hash out a beginning outline, pulling in what they'd done in China, Shiroe's speeches, and Purrcy's quest requests in Yamato. They wouldn't mind getting help on the rest of the U.S. Mazes of Eternity, if they could talk anyone into going east with them, but they expected the least help with that.</p>
<p>They'd been certain they could find people willing to hunt down Overwritten, but now they weren't so sure. If they could at least talk the few fighting guilds into it since the reward was going home, that would be something. The only other one was what they would have to fight the hardest for and was what this meeting and requirement was for - to get all the Adventurers playing nicely together.</p>
<p>That was going to take leadership left behind that everyone could live with when the Eagles moved on to their other jobs. In the States on Earth, that meant local elections and people willing to serve as those elected officials.</p>
<p>They'd have to have a clue on how to lead people to begin with. That issue alone took three nights plus of scratching heads, with them all secretly wishing they could get whomever the top military person in the city was in that position. That was the right person for the job as far as the Code went.</p>
<p>That person would support any elected leader, though, regardless, since any military person's job was to hold to the Code and get them all home. They could almost be guaranteed a week minimum to get the cities stable enough to head out to the next region...probably. They'd have to experiment to see if they could get it to as fast as Shiroe's one to two days.</p>
<p>They were reminded at some point that they were also supposed to be helping rebalance the region with Creatures and People of the Land. It wouldn't be hard to ask Summoners to recall their Summons. That would bring some life back. It was going to be nearly impossible to bring back the People of the Land. Michael finally took that to Purrcy and Izanami. He didn't get an answer, but he did get a bit of purring.</p>
<p>They asked Bowie to meditate on it and he came back with the same sort of answer. A feeling of peace to some degree, but no action item at the moment. They'd have to let it ride for now. There weren't demihumans alive to worry about, and what might be should likely be left alone for now. They would have to leave that one up to Inari as well.</p>
<p>Working on the underlying issues had an interesting effect on them all. When they fought the Overwritten during the "daylight" hours, they weren't as tired, and felt stronger. As they reached the boss room of the second level, Chappie stood up before them and prayed over them, adding in gratitude for the increased strength they'd had until then. Everyone got warm Purrcy hugs and kisses.</p>
<p>Michael sighed. "I think we're getting blessing bonuses." Chappie nodded in agreement. They were grateful for the gratitude and helping hand that wasn't overly intrusive. They were extra grateful for it as they nearly went down as a team against the double boss in that room. The minors of that room were at least another boss, and the middling at least two more. For twenty-three Eagles that was rather a lot all at once. It wouldn't get any easier as they went along, either.</p>
<p>As they dropped to the ground to rest at the end, they stayed a little alert. They weren't disappointed. "Rolling 2D20. The Vengeful Spirit attacks. The Vengeful Spirit attacks. The Vengeful Spirit attacks. The Vengeful Spirit attacks. The Vengeful Spirit attacks. The Vengeful Spirit curses."</p>
<p>This time it was Clocktower and Aviation Safety who were targeted. "Damn, what's my number?" Clocktower grumbled as he dodged the third attack on him. "Can I swap places with someone else?"</p>
<p>Since they were ready this time, they all got in early attacks. They divided with half assisting Clocktower and half Aviation Safety, getting the Vengeful Spirits marked, locked down, and early purifications off, as well as defensive protections on the two men. They still had to wait for the third turn for Gareth's Spirit Communication spell to go off, so they used the extra turn to calm the Vengeful Spirits down with purifications.</p>
<p>This time they got two Vengeful Spirits that didn't want to talk and were just angry at having to be there at all. They did finally manage to buy them off - one with another cigarette and the other with a bottle of wine. At least they hadn't had to guess which was which this time and chance the do-over.</p>
<p>It left a bitter taste in the mouth, but they let it go. It wasn't worth holding on to when they knew it was going to be that hard. Their job didn't depend on people being nice or loving what they did. Their job only needed to get done so they could all go home.</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>Nyanta was very proud of Purrcy. She'd joined the City Beautification committee and had been very active with the other members of the committee. Ceridwen (the committee chair) had been kept very busy by her as a result.</p>
<p>Purrcy had added on a park to the Gate of Time (pleasing Nyanta almost more since no other deity in the Gate of Time could add space to it). Ceridwen and her Druids had been helping things grow there - most notably the tall trees Purrcy loved - but other than seeing those rise up on the skyline the park was closed until the final day of the second anniversary celebration.</p>
<p>Purrcy had very nicely handled her first solo Court of Gods, being graceful, calm, and remaining in control unapologetically. She'd managed to win even the more difficult deities to her suggestion that the final day of the celebration be more generally applied to all the children of the Gate of Time and they'd agreed to call it Children's Day.</p>
<p>She was excited for the unveiling of the new park on that day. She'd enlisted the help of all of the goddesses who were patrons of children to help as well, and the temple had been very busy with its own preparations for that. Nyanta had headed the temple celebrations the first two days of the anniversary celebration. Purrcy had properly participated in her parts.</p>
<p>Really, life in general was becoming quite pleasurable and the painful memories of Nyanta's earlier time there were being overshadowed by the happier family time they were having. Of course, it helped that the linear Gate of Time wasn't the same as the chaotic one generally. If it became difficult, he only had to visit his children in their studies and play, or find one of Purrcy's aspects and visit with her. Even Marco was a help, the two of them having discovered a more relaxed relationship this time around.</p>
<p>They arrived at the new Children's Park early so that Purrcy could make sure the preparations for the grand opening were ready. Nyanta watched as their four children ran around the grounds. They obediently stayed where they could hear him if he called.</p>
<p>When Purrcy gave him the sign, he called for them and they returned to stand with him properly, although Miru and Meiki had to be separated to either side of him. He held their hands as MeowLi and Setsubou stood behind them and held on to his kimono - one on either side as well. He'd allowed them to continue that habit because it helped him know where they were. This particular configuration was well known now.</p>
<p>The entire city had come for the opening of the Children's Park, curious about what it had meant for the High Priestess of Inari to add to the city, and to see the tall trees they'd never seen before. There was the obligatory speech and prayer over the park and all the children of the city (Nyanta thought that a nice touch), and then he was taking the four kittens to the ribbon that "closed" the park off. Together the four of them cut the ribbon with the large scissors and the children of the city moved forward into the park first.</p>
<p>There was one special activity for the children set up in the park. The pathway that meandered through the park grounds was lined with grey stones of varying sizes. Purrcy had the goddesses helping her pass out smocks, paint brushes, and hand out the primary colors of paints to each child. Each child was then instructed to select a rock at the first part of the path and paint whatever they wanted on it, then sign it if they wanted, and put the date on it: LGT2-3, or Linear Gate of Time 2nd year, 3rd day.</p>
<p>The Children's Park quickly became full of children studiously painting, others running around the grounds exploring, parents talking as they watched over painters, adults walking the path to explore just as much, and many standing gawking at the true height of the trees. When MeowLi, Miru, Meiki, and Setsubou were happily planted at their rocks with their nannys watching over them, Nyanta took Purrcy's hand and tucked it into his elbow. "So, show me what mew've done in this place, meow."</p>
<p>Purrcy smiled at him and purred. "Certainly, although the unseen part of course is that I've turned it from a stuffy religious day into a day all the children can enjoy, and so can I. Three days last year was just too much."</p>
<p>Nyanta chuckled. "Of course mew've done that on purrpose. That much was obvious."</p>
<p>They walked the pathway, passing the easels set up for those children who wanted to keep painting once their rock was done. It wound around to pass a pond. Purrcy paused them there at the edge of a viewing platform. Nyanta was surprised when a koi came up and kissed the surface of the pond. "Mew've added koi?"</p>
<p>"Yes, it was a bit of a struggle, but they finally agreed that they'd not cause troubles. I couldn't win the birds and field mice, though. Not even moles."</p>
<p>"Well, they do make messes and move into the rest of the city," Nyanta had to allow.</p>
<p>"But it makes the whole of the city so sterile," Purrcy complained.</p>
<p>Nyanta patted her hand consolingly, but personally he had to agree with the other members of the City Beautification committee. Such things would also all be terrible distractions since most everyone was a cat. "Purrsonally, I think they've all hunted them to extinction," he whispered to her. That settled her more. She wouldn't be happy to have it happen again.</p>
<p>From the pond, which the path continued on around, they eventually entered the small woods that the trees made up. There were some of the different kinds, including several fruit trees on the outskirts in a manicured orchard.</p>
<p>"I'm hoping that when they fruit anyone who wants will pick them and eat them," Purrcy pointed to a sign offering just that. "That was always my favorite way to eat fresh fruits and vegetables - picked right out of the garden or off the tree."</p>
<p>Nyanta watched her face, her dreamy look of pleasure as she thought of her happy memories, and thought of the happy memories to be made. It was a look he loved to see. When she turned back to him, he kissed her. "I will expect to find mew here often, then, when the fruit is ripe."</p>
<p>She blushed, another reaction he'd wanted to see just then. "I suppose I will want to come often, since I did make it just the way I like it," she teased him back. He gave her a pat on the head. When they arrived under the taller trees, she said, "I've left space between them, but not too much. We'll be coming here to practice."</p>
<p>Nyanta looked up at them musingly. "I do see mew've alternated heights on them. Mew might have to make a few shorter ones for the children to begin learning on."</p>
<p>Purrcy shook her head, but only led him on. The path continued to meander through the woods until it suddenly came out into an area where the trees decreased in size in a rough circle until there was an open area in the center.</p>
<p>Purrcy explained, "This will be the playground, which is next year's surprise addition to the park. When the children come play, they'll be able to learn to climb trees here. The rest of the committee doesn't know that part yet. To them it's just a hidden visual delight."</p>
<p>"Well, it is that," Nyanta agreed.</p>
<p>"Come on, then," Purrcy urged him. "You're so out of practice, I'm sure." She was cat and running for the trees. Nyanta sighed, but agreed that he should at least humor her for a brief time. He checked on the children, who had split into two on easels and two running and playing with the other children in the grass. Then he also shifted to cat and ran at a shorter tree and up it.</p>
<p>Really, being a natural Adventurer meant it wasn't all that hard. The muscles knew it still. It was the brain that had to catch back up. They practiced going up and down the trees for a while, then Purrcy led him in a tree-top run back the way they'd come, at a more straight shot than following the pathway.</p>
<p>Those trees were very tall, on the outskirts of the forest, and they looked down on the gathering of the city filling the new park. Purrcy settled down. "Yes, this is a much better way to celebrate this day," she murmured, her whiskers and tail pleased.</p>
<p>Nyanta rubbed his head on hers. "Indeed." He sat on his haunches next to her.</p>
<p>They didn't know who saw them first and pointed them out, but even their own children stood with their mouths open in surprise. Nyanta looked down at his recumbent wife. "Shall we?"</p>
<p>Purrcy looked up at him, then rose to her feet. "Sure. It's been so long I'd love to." Both of them sprouted wings - her's of sphinx and his of gryphon - and they soared down, circling over the gathering, to land with their children. They returned to High Priest and High Priestess to receive their hugs. They had to promise they'd teach their children how to climb the trees, too. It was another happy memory to make that day.</p>
<p>At the end of the day, after the temple birthday party for their children, Miru begged to be told the stories of how it was they had wings and could fly. Those were more happy memories to tell.</p>
<p>Nyanta settled happily next to Purrcy when they were finally in their own bed, purring and grooming her until she laughed, pleased that she'd made him so happy. When she'd finished getting the happy out of him so he could go back to contented, she sighed in contentment herself and purred them to sleep.</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>"Shiroe."</p>
<p>Shiroe lifted his head and sat back in his chair. "Hey. I thought you were only going to call me in emergencies, Michael."</p>
<p>"Well, I'm lonely."</p>
<p>"Oh?" Shiroe didn't believe that.</p>
<p>Michael sighed. "We're going to have a hard time over here. We're half-way through the Western Maze of Eternity, and we're getting attacked by every Vengeful Spirit that shows up. They don't want to live."</p>
<p>Shiroe shivered slightly. "That is bad."</p>
<p>"Have you been getting any of that from the other team?"</p>
<p>Shiroe considered it. "I'd say China was close, but not really. The train's just reaching South Arida, though, and it's not looking good down there, either. They were under civil strife again when we were brought over here at the catastrophe. The train can hardly get where they need to go because they get jumped by one faction or another along the way."</p>
<p>"Yeah, that's about how hard it would have been here before the Fourth of July Special last year," Michael sympathized.</p>
<p>"How bad did it get?" Shiroe asked, knowing that if Michael needed to talk to move forward, listening was the best thing to help him do just that.</p>
<p>"The entire west coast is stripped of any life at all. The Adventurers have been dead to this world mentally nearly since they arrived and since that Special, physically as well. What People of the Land they didn't kill off themselves got taken out by the Overwritten.</p>
<p>"We managed to get rid of the worst one. They called it the Devourer. It was a reverse monster that took in attacks like it was getting fed its favorite desert. It had to stand over a mile high. We think it's what stripped the land.</p>
<p>"The rest of the Overwritten have taken out almost all of the villages and nests of the Creatures of the Land and there's barely enough natural wildlife to keep us fed." Shiroe was glad to just let Michael talk. It was sounding very horrific.</p>
<p>"We did manage to find one Adventurer - of sorts - still living. He was an undead when we found him. We used him as the bait to draw the Devourer around to where we could get rid of it. Name's Brian - the Caretaker for the region and the young Programmer we talked about."</p>
<p>"I'm glad you found him," Shiroe said soberly.</p>
<p>"Yeah. I'm looking forward to talking to him in the flesh. He might be the only reasonable person on this coast." Shiroe recognized that as just a down-in-the-dumps grumble.</p>
<p>"We've got a plan for being in every Adventurer city at the same time when the Adventurers resurrect, and we're working on the sales pitch. We'll have to get everyone to agree to play nice, and that's looking a lot harder than it should.</p>
<p>"Only the few fighting guilds were even willing to go out and fight anything, apparently. No one was willing to farm - not that we do that much either - but there were apparently early riots that reduced the numbers of People of the Land to do it before they got wise. They starved after that, trying to force each other to go out and be the ones to work and they splintered.</p>
<p>"The ones willing to work went into hiding to take care of themselves and the rest sat around and complained. When the Special hit, they were blind-sided and overwhelmed fast. The fighting guilds that lifted their heads after that weren't enough to make up the balance."</p>
<p>"Tough," Shiroe commiserated. "Will it be hard to find city council members?"</p>
<p>"We expect," Michael answered. "We're hoping for a few reasonable guildmasters and military men. Even two or three per city might be enough to keep them going long enough to get to the end." He sighed. "Has the Eured group passed on anything new from their trips through the Mazes?"</p>
<p>"Not really. Nothing's been as wiped cleaned as what you've described. They did have to work hard to get Cairo back. The trip from the Maze to there was just over two days and the Master Strategist was camped there and evil. That took my closer involvement to get resolved," Shiroe answered.</p>
<p>"Can you send me a copy of that full negotiation, then? We have no idea who the Master Strategist is here. If that's one of the worms, we need to have some idea of where to even begin," Michael requested.</p>
<p>"Sure. I'll ask Tetorō to get it put together and sent over." Shiroe ran his hand through his hair. "We'll send South Arida over, too, as it unwinds. MarketMaker's complaining that he'd rather not heal the Tree. It will only give each side more bodies to throw at each other."</p>
<p>"Yeah, that's about how we're feeling over here, too. It'd be better to let them be, almost. We'll give it a good try, though. With common goals, particularly getting back home in the end, we think we can get them moving forward together again."</p>
<p>Michael sighed. "At least, we <em>should</em> be able to. If we can't, they'll just all kill each other again, but we can't afford to stay here when we've still got all the rest of both continents to work on."</p>
<p>Shiroe ran his fingers down his pen a few times, thinking about that. "When they're done in South Arida, they're done. Next time I talk to them, I'll ask Leonardo to find his way over there. If he can round up help, he might be able to get another crew to help with the repairs."</p>
<p>"That would be a big help," Michael was relieved. The States had three - west, central, and east - and they still had to get into Canada and then back down through Central and South Amerka. Having two repair teams would help it go a bit easier.</p>
<p>Michael suggested, "Since he's by himself, you might tell him to start up in Canada. I don't know what the rest of the States look like yet - we're desperately hoping for nowhere as near as bad - but Purrcy wasn't promising me anything for the entire country."</p>
<p>"She warned you?"</p>
<p>"Yes. You know she's a true Admin now? Izanami's handed over the console to her, though with oversight."</p>
<p>"Really?" Shiroe was intrigued to hear that. "How's that going?"</p>
<p>"She's still High Priestess and Oracle, so some days not so good, but when just she can come play, it's not bad."</p>
<p>Shiroe chuckled slightly at that. "I can imagine."</p>
<p>He was interrupted by Akatsuki tugging at his sleeve slightly. Her eyes were worried and sad. "Ask him. Please," she asked quietly.</p>
<p>Shiroe paused, considering, then gave a small nod. "We got a surprise personal request from her. She showed up before you were even done with the Time sub-quest and talked to Rudy and Naotsugu."</p>
<p>"That's a surprise," Michael said.</p>
<p>"Yes. And an hour after she called us when it was over, she showed up in the living room. She brought with her one of her daughters - MeowLi, Nyanta's secretary from the first time he was sent to the Gate of Time. She dropped out when the veil went up and Purrcy had to rescue her. She's living with us now until they return. Did you know?"</p>
<p>Michael was silent. Then he quietly swore. "Damn it, Shiroe." He sounded like he wanted to cry. "Izanagi stole that memory from me until you said it just now."</p>
<p>Shiroe stiffened. "Why? When Akatsuki gave her the tour of the building she said that she'd never been told about you or the Eagles in all the stories her parents told her about Akiba in preparation for her falling out of the Gate of Time. Do you know why?"</p>
<p>Michael was silent for a while. "I know some of it was because of what we went through on the ship on the way over here, which was more abuse by Inari. And... I'm not healed up enough yet to know it, honestly. I've been given back all my emotions and I'm barely hanging on as it is. To have that one thing added back in is going to take me another recovery set - and in the opposite direction," he was bitter.</p>
<p>"I suspect that the reason is at base because Izanagi is so damn jealous. I got the worst shit jobs from him while there. The only bonus was that when he needed her retrieved out of the traps the deities kept setting for her, he'd send me, making me hold to my promise to protect her. Likely he didn't want it told."</p>
<p>He paused again, then said wearily, almost in a defeated tone, "We're completely Izanami's now - all of us. She forced a full clergy appointment on the whole squadron. We went another special's round to get schooled on just who owns us. Purrcy said it was to protect us from Izanagi because we kept leaving gaping holes that he was going to exploit.</p>
<p>"She's at least as jealous as he is, not wanting to let any one of us go. We'll get the quests done because she wants them, too, but we're all as dead as Purrcy is now. If Izanagi's trying to make others forget who we are, then I don't know, Shiroe."</p>
<p>There was another pause, then quietly, "You won't be seeing us anymore anyway, not on that side of the globe, so it doesn't matter what a Person of the Land knows or doesn't know. Just - God. A punch like that to the gut is hard to take right now. ...I'll look for the data from Tetorō. Good luck to you and MarketMaker, and we'll watch for Leonardo."</p>
<p>"Okay, Michael. I'm sorry to have brought it up for you."</p>
<p>"No, neither of us knew." Michael closed the chat.</p>
<p>Shiroe let his hands drop to the arms of his chair. Akatsuki looked at him, worried. He couldn't look at her. Her hand came gently on his head, brushing back from his forehead. "What is it?" she asked quietly.</p>
<p>"He was made to forget, too. Until I asked the question, he didn't remember that he'd been with them in the Gate of Time. At least with the children. He remembered only that Nyanta gave him the worst jobs possible and sent him to rescue Purrcy from the city council when they got dangerous. Whatever was tied into the lost memories has hit him very hard and he's hurting again." He raised his eyes to hers slowly, very unhappy that he'd been the cause of bringing them back to Michael.</p>
<p>Akatsuki bit her lower lip. "I'm sorry," she said humbly.</p>
<p>Shiroe looked at her, then gave a forgiving nod, holding out a hand for her. He held her until he could move forward again. He gave the summary of the conversation to everyone at that night's meeting, and the orders to Tetorō, but he left out the part from the Gate of Time.</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>By the time Michael closed the connection with Shiroe and returned his focus to their present location he had at least two standing with him. Hands landed on his shoulders. "Hang on, Mike," Gareth's soft tenor voice encouraged. The other hand didn't say words, but the grip tightened until he looked up. It was sort of hard to see the words through his tears, but Brenner also encouraged him.</p>
<p>In misery, Michael asked, "I can understand why Nyanta-san and Izanagi would want me to not remember or participate in their family life...but why would Izanagi want me to fall in love with Purrcy at a time I couldn't, then drop me so far?"</p>
<p>"What did he do?" Gareth asked, already angry.</p>
<p>"He made me forget that I'd known that MeowLi was his daughter. I was so angry at Nyanta-san that he had a concubine in the Gate of Time, that somehow those emotions I couldn't feel decided that I could really want Purrcy.</p>
<p>"Shiroe told me that they're taking care of MeowLi now and that she's their daughter. Izanagi's only told me that it was never possible to love or have Purrcy from the beginning. I already knew that, but why now? Why? I'm trying so hard to hold on to Maryann."</p>
<p>"Is it your final punishment, to put you in your proper place?" Gareth wondered.</p>
<p>Michael could barely consider it, just that much making the tears stream forth. The gulf between him and Purrcy had widened so far that he had almost nothing to hold on to any more. His hope of going home and of having an ally on that path was nearly completely severed by the knowing. He shivered.</p>
<p>In a whisper, he begged, "Put me to sleep. Maybe...." He couldn't finish it, but Brenner nodded. A few seconds later Michael toppled over. Gareth put a blanket over him and they moved away, but stayed close enough to guard him from himself if it became necessary.</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>Reed hadn't liked that interchange at all. He faced Gareth and Brenner. "What is going on, that he's down again?"</p>
<p>"Izanagi's taken his last hope and stolen it away. He's this shy of being more than dead. We've put him to sleep, since that sometimes helps calm the emotions down." Gareth ran his hand through his hair and breathed out a long breath.</p>
<p>"So, you know that it's always tied to Mrs. Purrcy, but it's more than just a love affair with a strong woman who reminds him of his mother." The rest of the Eagles flocked around to hear, looking like the blackbirds they'd been nicknamed.</p>
<p>Quietly Gareth explained. "She's his link back home. He's been holding on to her as his own hope that fighting to get back home is worth it, that it's even possible. We all hang on to him, and he hangs on to her. Probably she hangs on to Shiroe, honestly, or she doesn't need it since she doesn't want to go home from the beginning.</p>
<p>"Whatever, Izanagi just cut the line even more in that little conversation, showed Mike that Mrs. Purrcy is so far away, and so much under its control, that he doesn't have an ally at all. That it's all a game by the AIs to make us dance to their tune and going home is a pipe dream. If Izanagi can make Mike fall, we'll all fall, too...eventually. If that happens, no one goes home."</p>
<p>Gareth took another deep breath. "My hope in going home isn't based that tightly on her, but she's essential to Mike because Izanagi made sure to bind him that tightly to her, playing with him and his emotions. It's not that Maryann isn't an anchor. He's been trying hard and doing his best there. It's that Mrs. Purrcy's his guiding light through the darkness of this place...his lighthouse as it were."</p>
<p>Brenner wrote, "<em>What did you mean by Izanagi was finally putting him in his place, then?</em>"</p>
<p>Gareth looked at him, compassion for Michael on his face. "Izanagi was finally making it very obvious to him that he's here to stay under the thumb of the AIs, regardless of what he wants. Izanagi wants Mike broken and completely obedient, even if it's to Izanami and not him."</p>
<p>"He's already completely obedient," Reed was very angry.</p>
<p>"He wasn't broken," Gareth answered back quietly. "At least, he wouldn't stay broken. This might have done it. Even he wants it to not be so when he wakes back up, but he couldn't promise it."</p>
<p>The angry listeners stood or sat and smoldered for a while until MasterChiefS7 got them moving on inspecting the third level of the Maze to occupy them until Michael recovered enough to wake back up.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. I'm Not Dead</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Michael opened his eyes and blinked. He was in the code realm in an odd landscape. He looked around numbly, not able to bring himself to think of much at all.</p>
<p>After a bit of just sitting and absorbing the view around him that was reminiscent of trees and the general landscape of an outside zone, he heard purring and the sound of a smallish creature walking nearby. He scanned that way, not moving fast since that would scare off a wild creature, and he wasn't sure he cared something was there anyway.</p>
<p>He couldn't see anything, as there was an obstacle in the way between him and whatever was making the sounds. Eventually, the snuffling, purring, and movement drew away from him. With an almost-sigh, he shrank to become like a will-o-the-wisp and floated through and around the "branches" of the "shrub" until he'd passed through it to see what had been there.</p>
<p>Beyond the shrub was an open clearing. He could just make out the tips of ears and a tail waving behind it as whatever it was walked through the tall "grass" of the zone. His heart clenched slightly, but it didn't break through his numbness very much, particularly when that same tail flicked as if to beckon him forward.</p>
<p>As the wisp, Michael floated after it, but not overly strenuously. On occasion he had to flip over to one side or the other, or up or down to escape traps and bugs along the way. It wasn't hard, though, given all his training in this realm.</p>
<p>Then he was overshadowed by something quite large and he looked back and up. With a gulp, he quickly hunted for a hiding place and zipped into it. In equivalency, it would have been a grass-stem cave.</p>
<p>He carefully watched to see that he wasn't stepped on, or spotted and being hunted. It was a large enough creature that it might not have spotted him, but wisdom in this place was to hide first, find out later.</p>
<p>When the watch hound had passed on by, Michael turned to keep his eyes on it a little longer, then sank to the ground with a sigh and looked around, tired and not finding the will to continue on any longer anyway. A little spark in the back of his "cave" caught his eye and he cautiously moved towards it, then picked it up to inspect it.</p>
<p>"When did you first know you wanted to be military, and why?" a little voice asked him from the small ruby he'd found, small enough to be a pixie's tear.</p>
<p>Michael sat and considered the answer to that question. Quietly he whispered the answer back. "Pop was Air Force. Dad died serving overseas, and Mom was a fierce believer in what they'd both done. Her pride in them leaked over into me. I wanted to serve even before Dad died, even though I'd miss him a lot when he was on duty.</p>
<p>"After he was brought back and we had the military funeral, I remember looking at the flag draped across his casket and thinking how hard it was to have him gone, but how proud I was of him for going honorably. I think it was at that time I decided I'd finish what he'd started."</p>
<p>Michael paused, resting a bit in that memory. He continued after a bit, "I wanted to stay true to flight like they had, it being the family tradition and I liked the thought of flying. But we'd always lived on the west coast in one city or another and I'd come to love the ocean, too.</p>
<p>"As I got older, and did my research, I decided I could do both if I became a Navy airman. I was a bit scared to tell Pop and Mom that I was going to go Navy instead of Air Force, but they both listened to what I had to say and were very supportive of my choice."</p>
<p>The little ruby he was holding turned into a similarly sized strawberry. He ate it and found it sweet and flavorful. When he'd sat there a bit, he decided that it had increased his HP a little because he felt like he might be able to move forward again.</p>
<p>Just as he was about to leave his little cave, he heard the swishing of something moving through the grass. He paused to look out carefully. Overhead an eared and then tailed creature moved on by - not a hound. A purr was left in its wake. He cautiously lifted up and floated after it, although he couldn't quite catch sight of what it was exactly since he didn't want to leave the cover of the "grass".</p>
<p>There was a bit of a screech overhead after a while that startled Michael into freezing. He cast about looking for what had made the sound, then dropped suddenly as large wings went flying past, making the grass wave wildly. He tumbled in the after-draft, until he hit something a little more solid and slid down towards the ground.</p>
<p>When he had his bearings again, he could see he'd hit the equivalent of a tree stump. Not too far from where he'd landed on the top of an exposed root, he could see a hollow. When the wings of the crow started to blow wind on him as it came in for a landing on top of the stump, he switched over to the equivalent of a centipede, holding on to the root tightly with his pointy legs.</p>
<p>He moved very fast into the hollow and switched back into a wisp once he was inside, not wanting to be the insect meal for the bird. It still hunted for him for a while, so he held still in the back of the hollow until it gave up and lifted back into the air with great flaps of its wings.</p>
<p>Michael slumped to the floor of the hollow and just lay there for a bit. A green sparkle caught his eye and he rolled over to it and dug it out of the ground. The tiny emerald spark shone in his hand. "What was your worst day in basic training and what got you through it?" the tiny voice asked him.</p>
<p>Michael sighed. "That is not a day to remember. I got through it because I knew my Dad had gotten through it too, and so had Pop. If they could do it, I could too, no matter how much it hurt, or how much I hated it. What was on the other side was worth it, and I knew it because I had their examples and their stories to prove it."</p>
<p>The green spark turned into a smooth green apple, still as tiny as food for a wisp like him. Michael ate it and felt better. He fell asleep again for a while, and was slightly surprised when he woke back up in that same place.</p>
<p>This time, he wasn't quite so numb, as his brain was going through the reasons why he might be in this place and what might be going on. He let it stay at the level of suspicion for now, though. Playing along with this game was better than the alternative of waking up and having to face reality - a thing he shied away from still.</p>
<p>This time, when he left the hollow in the stump, he went as a bumble bee. He had fun flying as he'd watched the bumble bees flying in his grandfather's flower garden - a hobby to keep the old man's hands busy because his legs couldn't get him around much. Michael buzzed up, then forward, then barrel rolled right, and did a couple of loops. He rather enjoyed being able to fly like he did in his angel when it was just him playing.</p>
<p>That was all well and good until Michael found himself stuck upside down against a spider web. He beat his wings in a fierce buzz, and one of the strands of the web snapped, but he wasn't able to get quite loose. The web (and therefore he) bounced in a more rhythmic and larger sine wave. He swallowed and tried to get unstuck enough he could see where the spider was coming from.</p>
<p>It was two of the front legs finally coming into view over his head that finally let him know where it was. His explosive cantrip went off right in the face of the spider. The web where he was being held shredded and he fell, tumbling head over rear towards the ground.</p>
<p>When he was mostly heads up, he transformed into a thistle-down. He swayed precariously, but the tumble halted and he was able to float down onto a cupped leaf that was hidden by other leaves. He rested and recovered there a bit, finally changing again to sit up, this time as a very tiny version of himself, not any bigger than the thistle-down had been.</p>
<p>Michael put his arms around his knees and rested his chin on them. After he'd sat there for a bit, out of the corner of his eye there was a blue sparkle. His lips lifted slightly. He'd been testing to see if one would show up.</p>
<p>He reached out and picked up the sapphire, no bigger than the others had been. "What was the day you were sworn in like? How did you feel?"</p>
<p>He held the sapphire in his fist for a while before answering that one. It took a bit of swallowing around the lump in his throat and around his heart before he could answer it. In the end, he couldn't voice it, but a tear dripped from his eye as that lump forced it's way out somehow.</p>
<p>He just sat there, in the memory of that day and that moment, the pride of his mother and his grandfather almost not equal to his own, but all three somehow telling him he'd reached a level of maturity most people didn't ever reach.</p>
<p>When he was ready, he opened his fist. In it was not the sapphire, but a spherical dewdrop. When he put it in his mouth, his thirst was immediately quenched and he felt like his insides were being washed clean. The lump that had still been somewhat inside was smoothed away and Michael felt steady and calmer.</p>
<p>He took a deep breath and let it out. A warm purring, that only lasted a second, surrounded him, then was gone again. He looked around, but didn't see anything. Wanting to know if the ears and tail he'd been following were still around, he lifted up off the leaf and cautiously peered out to see if the bird - or anything else - was around.</p>
<p>Not wanting to be caught by a spider web again, Michael went as a small bird this time, about the size of a wren - small enough to hide, large enough to eat a spider if he came across one. He flitted from one place to another, sometimes landing on a more firm blade of grass to rest a bit and get his bearings. He looked around the field for the ears and tail he'd been following but couldn't see them.</p>
<p>Finally he rose high enough in the air to see if he could see traces of the passing of the creature. That he did see. Tracking, he found himself at some sort of boundary. The tracks obviously continued onward, but he couldn't get out. Resting a bit on a nearby shrub branch, he scowled at the invisible wall.</p>
<p>Finally, with a puff of frustrated air, Michael used his intent even though that meant working more than he felt ready to. He <em>wanted</em> to follow the path and it went out, so obviously he should be able to go out after it. This time, when he flew along the path, he did pass through and into the next area.</p>
<p>He froze. This really <em>was</em> the code realm. Whatever he'd been in before wasn't quite. <em>This</em> was. That made it dangerous.</p>
<p>He floated to the surface, making sure it was safe, too, and seriously considered his options. He knew how to survive in this realm, he just wasn't sure why he was here. He hadn't come of his own preference - he just kept waking up here.</p>
<p>It was obviously a game of some sort - at least it had been. Michael wasn't sure about from here on out. He was pretty sure that the ears and tail (and thus game) belonged to Purrcy. He wasn't sure he wanted to face her, although if he got to track her and then let his anger out on her that might be worth something - assuming he could work up to angry.</p>
<p>Blowing out a frustrated breath this time, he went to full-size-invisible and looked around. He blinked to see what looked like a crumbling ruin of a Greek temple nearby. There wasn't anything around to show up as an immediate enemy, so he walked over to it.</p>
<p>He walked around, searching the ruin. Back in the recesses of it, he found a sword in a stone. He sighed, staring at it moodily. He wasn't interested in becoming Arthur in the game. Creating the Round Table wasn't on his list of things to do. Besides, he didn't want other people around right now - not that he'd seen anyone. He looked around again, but there weren't any other clues to point him where to go next.</p>
<p>Michael reached out and grasped the hilt of the sword. He froze. On the back of his hand was an increasing yellow light in the shape of a triangle, divided into four triangles. One of the lower corner triangles in the triangle was a solid yellow, where the rest was outlined. The sword slightly glowed blue, then both lights faded and he was released to pull on the sword.</p>
<p>He pulled it out, then gave a sigh as that finally clicked for him. "Really? <em>Zelda</em>, and I'm Link? I never played those, you know. They weren't my thing." The wind blew past him lightly and it might have held a purry chuckle.</p>
<p>Michael cast a search spell on the internet database and watched in fast forward most of the <em>Zelda</em> playthroughs. When it was obvious that a set pattern had been followed for the majority of them, and he'd already accomplished the first (shorter) series, he sighed and slumped to the ground next to a crumbling pillar to rest against it for a bit, holding the sword across his lap.</p>
<p>He already had the triforce piece. That meant the goal was to increase the strength of the sword, and it was likely going to take at least six more stops to get there. There was one piece missing, however, and he'd really like to have it if he was going to get through this at a reasonable rate.</p>
<p>"So, don't I get my fairy?" he asked. For most of the adventures, Link had a traveling companion who gave him clues and sometimes answered questions. He wondered if that was the cat, or if the cat was the Princess Zelda showing up in tantalizing bits and pieces, but never to be really seen or caught up to until the end.</p>
<p>Michael apparently wasn't going to get a fairy, since one didn't show up in the time he waited. He finally got back to his feet and looked around, hunting. The other things that were prevalent in the games were treasure chests and pots, often tucked away in odd locations.</p>
<p>That hunt he was rewarded for. One treasure chest he opened made a map appear on his status screen, and it marked the locations he needed to get to - in true <em>Zelda</em> fashion as hazy areas except the place he'd just come from and where he was. He slumped slightly at that. Really, this was going to take too long.</p>
<p>The second treasure chest he found around the ruin contained a compass. It disappeared, but his map opened again and the next hazy area over was revealed and a dot appeared on it. He also got a compass on his general status screen that pointed to that dot. That was better, slightly.</p>
<p>The first enemy he fought dropped a bow, and another distance along the path gave him three pots each with arrows in them. That was faster than normal, since the bow wasn't supposed to come for at least one, if not two, temples. Of course, when he saw that the enemy that was protecting his goal was a dragon, the bow made sense. He'd gotten to practice against flying watch crows, so it wasn't too long before his patience bore out and he was able to get rid of the dragon.</p>
<p>He picked up the golden disk dropped by the dragon. The same little voice he'd heard before asked him a new question. He wondered if that was the companion-equivalent, since often the assistance was few and far between and only related to specific moments in the games.</p>
<p>Michael was glad this location was in a protected bower with a place to sit and rest. This time the question was: "When did you meet your wife and what was the moment that you decided you were going to ask her to become your wife?"</p>
<p>He had to work his way through the present pain a bit - shoving it aside as best he could - before he could drag those memories back. He wasn't opposed to it, though. He knew he needed to reinforce that anchor as best he could.</p>
<p>This time, like the last but as an actual experiment, he didn't answer out loud. He just closed his eyes and remembered the time he met Maryann, then some of the more fun dates they'd had, and then the night he'd realized he was serious about her and he'd done some heavy thinking about if she was the right one or not.</p>
<p>She'd cried when he'd asked her to marry him...just a little. She hadn't been sure he was as serious as she'd gotten. He'd been nervous she wasn't serious and would reject him flippantly. She hadn't, instead being relieved that he was willing. That had helped him settle.</p>
<p>She wanted time to put together the wedding, so they'd set the date for the next time he got shore leave. He'd talked to her as often as he could while out on duty to answer her questions on what he wanted, but she'd had to carry the burden for the most part, like she'd had to ever since.</p>
<p>He always took up what he could when he was home - cooking, cleaning, eventually playing with David, going to school meetings, never forgetting dates with her, whatever it took. She'd known before they got married he was career, but he'd still been as careful as he could to keep the love going, knowing how hard it was from seeing examples all around him of career men losing wives and families (and keeping them).</p>
<p>Michael also talked to his grandfather and his mom, plus a lot of upper level career military men, about how they'd kept it together. He was as committed to his marriage vows as he was to his military oath, and both took work to keep going forward on.</p>
<p>He was grateful that his wife and his son loved him and welcomed him home with open arms every time. Really, he was going to move from flight to desk duty when he got back. It was time to give his family more of his time before David got any older.</p>
<p>A glow of light through his eyelids made him open his eyes. The golden disk he was holding was glowing, and so was the sword he'd picked up - out of his list without his say-so and floating in the air in front of him. When the glow faded, he had on a golden bracer and the fading glow of the sword was a shade brighter than it had been the first time.</p>
<p>That was good. And it was equally good he didn't have to vocalize all the memories. That was harder. Plus, now he <em>knew</em> exactly what Purrcy was playing at.</p>
<p>The sword disappeared, back into his list when he checked. He got to his feet and hunted around until he found the expected treasure chest. The compass in it made the next clouded part of the map roll back and he headed for the location he need to be at next.</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>Michael opened his eyes. He just lay there breathing for a moment. "Gareth," he called. Feet arrived in three steps followed by a hand on Michael's shoulder. "Sit down." Gareth sat.</p>
<p>Michael shifted to put his head in Gareth's lap. Gareth sighed a little sadly, a little in irritation, but let him stay and left his hand on Michael's shoulder. Michael closed his eyes again and just let the companionship calm him until he could take the next step forward.</p>
<p>It sounded like everyone was busy doing good things. That was good, that Reed and Master Chief were keeping things going while he was down. When he could face the next step, he said, "Reed." He felt Gareth move to motion Reed over.</p>
<p>Two people came. One to stand at Michael's back and the other in front of him to crouch down to face him. Reed's look was one of testing concern. Michael just let him read what he was going to read. He wanted to hear Reed say anything, though, but he didn't know what exactly so he finally said, "Report."</p>
<p>"We've done the day's exploratory and have been working up the battle plans. Ops was excused for that part to work out another sticky detail on Operation Play Nice. The Commander went down an hour and a half ago and we're still waiting to see if he's out for the count or is going to come back." The look was just a bit scolding.</p>
<p>Not like Michael had expected the ordinance from left field. But then, they never did expect the one that hit hardest.</p>
<p>Michael let his eyes close with a bit of a sigh. When he had the capacity, he said, "I'm still bruised, battered, and likely bloody, but I've been in triage being patched up." His eyes opened in time to see Reed looking at Gareth and Gareth shaking his head.</p>
<p>The person at Michael's back finally crouched down and added his hand to Gareth's, resting it on Michael's arm. Michael turned his head enough to see from the corner of his eye it was Brenner. With every one of his healers present it wasn't worth keeping secret.</p>
<p>"I got to play a personal <em>Zelda</em> game, written by the assistant just for me," he told them. "She stayed out of it, just the hidden glimpses here and there to get me up and moving forward when moving was hardest.</p>
<p>"Every boss defeated gave a prize drop of another memory to build me back up. Kind of a mini rebuilding - like she did for Crusty, only just for the things I needed.</p>
<p>"I'm still not ready to be up and walking, but I'm not dead." They all slumped in relief at that much. "Give me about another hour or so and I can probably be ready to head in for the next round."</p>
<p>Reed shook his head and the other two were in agreement. "We'll wait until you really are ready," Reed said. "We don't need a false start that leads to you really breaking. You know what the third level of this place is like. It would be better for you to be a numb killing machine than what you are now, although we'll take the Commander as our preference. We're not in a hurry."</p>
<p>"As long as they don't shift into slacking-off mode before I get there," Michael scolded lightly.</p>
<p>Reed clicked his tongue at Michael. "Master Chief's got it." Michael gave a tired nod of his head and let his eyes close again.</p>
<p>An hour of healing napping to get fully up in HP and MP and Michael was opening his eyes again. He was sure he wouldn't mind the full four hours, but awake was awake. Gareth had left him with the ground for a pillow again, but he wasn't far away. He watched as Michael pushed up and turned to lean against the closest rock.</p>
<p>Michael sat with his legs stretched out in front of him and rested his hands loosely clasped in front of him. It was a bit like trying to sit up when lightheaded. He closed his eyes against the spin and just breathed for a bit, relaxing against the cool stone.</p>
<p>When he felt better grounded, he opened his eyes and pulled up his status screen. All things looked green on his main screen. He did have a status effect related to his current lack of physical strength, but it wasn't the screaming red it probably had been when he'd been knocked for the death dive.</p>
<p>He scrolled through the screens, making sure the rest of everything was okay. He flipped one more time to return to the main screen and it wasn't the main screen.</p>
<p>Michael stared at the screen staring at him, then snorted a soft laugh. He reached up and touched the items on the screen. He hadn't had to do that for a long time, but he didn't know what this screen did yet.</p>
<p>When he touched the red gem, the memory of why he'd decided to become a career military man replayed for him. He watched it with some interest. When he touched the green gem, the memory related to it played out. He soaked it in. The blue gem gave him the same response. When he came up for air from that memory, he took in a deep breath and just scanned the rest of what was on his screen.</p>
<p>He passed his finger over the rest, remembering what memories were contained in each medallion, but not touching them to replay them just then. He let his hand fall as he stared at the last three slots.</p>
<p>Medallions in their solid colors of the rainbow were in their places, but he couldn't remember what memories were attached to them, nor even how he'd gotten them. He was pretty sure they wouldn't replay, either, but he could feel what strength they'd left behind. He stared at them for a long time.</p>
<p>Eventually Michael drew in a deeper breath and looked at the rest of the screen. It showed he still had most of the rewards he'd been given, too: the golden bracer of strength, the bow with its arrows, and similar such things, and on the side, a meter next to a depiction of a sword. It wasn't quite full up.</p>
<p>He looked at that and then at the final few medallions again. It should technically be one hundred percent if they were all in place. It had to be that until he was allowed to remember what those memories were the Master Sword would stay at that level.</p>
<p>He reached his hand out and pulled for the Master Sword. It appeared in his hand as the status screen disappeared. He held it, inspecting it. The service blade was well constructed and the hilt just ornate enough to be considered well formed and maybe even fancy, but it wasn't play at all. He swung it a few times. It was well balanced and heavy enough to cause damage. Even at this level it would be a sweet weapon.</p>
<p>As he returned to inspecting it, Michael realized he had an audience and his eyes moved outward from the sword. A few eyes were hungry, looking at the sword. Most wanted to know where he'd gotten a new toy from. He looked back into the eyes of the hungry. One of them said, "Where'd you get it - the Master Sword? It's cross platform."</p>
<p>"And I've only just played it for the first time this afternoon," he agreed.</p>
<p>"Fitting, though," another one who knew what it was commented. "Link's got to be one of the worst put-upon and abused heroes there is, for kids games."</p>
<p>Michael placed the blade across his lap. "Playing that dungeon is how Purrcy made me pull myself back up by my bootstraps. I was Link, I'm pretty sure she was Zelda since I saw her about none, but I don't remember the end or who Ganon was. I've got a new status screen with the data results from the game, so it's a permanent."</p>
<p>"How's that helpful?" he was asked, though not in derision. They just wanted to know.</p>
<p>Michael put away the sword and pulled out the rest and let them read the statuses. "Not bad on the equipment, but you never looked good in green."</p>
<p>Michael chuckled slightly with the rest of them and put it away again. "I suppose the better part is that the status screen will help me stay standing if I get slammed again," he told them. "It's something I can hold on to when my very limited human brain loses track of where I came from and where I was going."</p>
<p>"<em>That</em><em> will be very useful</em>," Brenner wrote. Michael gave a nod, sitting forward a bit to lean on his arms a little instead of the rock that was getting too hard. Brenner frowned then. "<em>But...if Izanagi wanted you broken, why would he have allowed Mrs. Purrcy to heal you and give you a permanent crutch?</em>"</p>
<p>Michael shook his head and thought of those last three medallions. "I think...it's not so cut and dried. I learned something then that I'm not allowed to remember just yet."</p>
<p>"Something to break you again?" Gareth asked, bitter.</p>
<p>Michael slowly shook his head. "Nooo, everything is a strengthening memory. More like...when I need them again so I don't break, I'll regain them to keep me moving forward whenever that time comes along." He shrugged and sighed. "I'm honestly just glad to be up at all at this point."</p>
<p>The men around him relaxed some, in agreement with that sentiment. It was still an encouraging add-on to the ones who'd played <em>Zelda</em>. The games were written to be challenging but so that Link didn't fail in the end, even if all seemed lost. Zelda always showed up at the ending battle to help Link defeat the demon Ganon, sealing him away for another thousand years (or more).</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>The Eagles took the third level of the Maze of Eternity at a more leisurely pace, pausing for rest breaks when they felt like it - at about the quarter points through the dungeon level and before the final boss battle. They weren't surprised when the boss was a band of banditos.</p>
<p>The Overwritten that weren't part of the standard Maze of Eternity dungeon had been tending towards southwestern American themes. It made them all the easier to fight, since the Eagles had lots of experience in fighting that kind of enemy on the screen, if not in person until now.</p>
<p>Given the volume of enemies (high as normal) it took a while to get them taken down. They set aside two at all times to be the retreat-and-hold pair when things got tight. By then, Brenner wasn't having much problem fighting with them, having so much opportunity for experimentation and practice. They just had to keep their ears open for his coded sounds.</p>
<p>When the final sombrero floated to the ground, the Eagles stayed on watch, waiting for the required Vengeful Spirit to arrive, including a spell going off early this time to show them where it was, and to be able to talk to it. As soon as it appeared, it was also immediately boxed in so it couldn't attack anyone.</p>
<p>The Vengeful Spirit looked around, then raged for about thirty seconds. They were pleased they'd thought to add in fail-safes in the imprisoning box so that the spells the Vengeful Spirit cast didn't kill it or make it disappear before they could get the next door open.</p>
<p>"We'd really rather talk to you than fight with you," Michael said calmly at an opportune quiet time in the tirade. "We're not from around here, and we're trying to figure out what happened to take out the entire west coast of the country."</p>
<p>The Vengeful Spirit spun slowly in the space it was blocked into, looking at the entire group, taking their measure. "Did you Summon me?"</p>
<p>Michael answered, "Not specifically. This particular dungeon picked you to play a small role in it. You could just do that one short thing, but we were hoping you'd stick around and tell us what happened."</p>
<p>The Vengeful Spirit stopped in its spin, staring at Michael. "I wanted you to win, and you stepped out. Why should I listen to someone who was a quitter?"</p>
<p>Michael and the Eagles all blinked synchronously. "The Commander doesn't quit!" one protested angrily.</p>
<p>Michael immediately raised a hand. "The only time I ever stepped back from completing a goal was the one Crown Tournament I fought in. However, I didn't quit.</p>
<p>"I did step out. I was due back on my ship four weeks later. I played in that tournament because I knew it would be the only one I'd play in for a very long time. If you were pulling for me, then I appreciate it. I'm sorry to not live up to your expectations and hopes."</p>
<p>"You didn't have to fall to that opponent. You had the capacity to go all the way to the top."</p>
<p>Michael bowed slightly, putting his raised hand to his chest, accepting the praise. "Yes, but I knew that the rest of the field at the end of that round were all well qualified. To have made him fall when he had the possibility of going on himself wouldn't have been kind.</p>
<p>"For me to have gone any further in the tournament would have potentially taken out the one who would have been king in the end, and to have gone to the final round would have been a false pretense when I couldn't really meet the requirements of time. I had a good time and that was enough."</p>
<p>"I still think you would have made a good king."</p>
<p>"Thank you. If I could, I'd try again, particularly now that I've had nearly three years of real experience."</p>
<p>That made the Vengeful Spirit laugh. "Yeah, no one could touch you now...except you're a Monk." The Vengeful Spirit had switched immediately to accusatory.</p>
<p>Michael grinned his pirate's grin. "So you think."</p>
<p>That made the Vengeful Spirit stop and think. After a bit it said, "What ship did you have to be out on?"</p>
<p>"Navy," Michael answered.</p>
<p>The Vengeful Spirit nodded. "If...I promise to make you king of the Western Region, will you fix all the problems and make everyone play right?"</p>
<p>Michael blinked. "No, but it's an answer with qualifications. We've been given the quest to do just that as well as several other world quests, in particular over here in this hemisphere. Like I couldn't give my time to the Western Kingdom on Earth, I can't devote my time to just one region. Once we've got the Western Region up and running again, we need to move on."</p>
<p>The Vengeful Spirit was quiet for a long time, thinking. Slowly it asked, "You have to go to all the hemisphere already?"</p>
<p>"Well, we've got a friend coming to help. He's going to start in Canada, and we were hoping to get help for South Amerka, too. With it being just us that's rather a lot of territory to visit," Michael answered.</p>
<p>The Vengeful Spirit looked around at the guild. "I'm surprised you've made it to those kinds of levels."</p>
<p>"Lots of practice working the quests and dungeons like this one," Reed said dryly. "How do you know HackerM1 plays the other game?"</p>
<p>The Vengeful Spirit studied Reed for a bit, then said, "Oh. You were the squire made a Master during the last war before the catastrophe. You disappeared pretty fast after that. Why?"</p>
<p>"I only had leave for the weekend and had to get back to my duty," Reed answered.</p>
<p>"Is anyone else part of Master Michael's household?" the Vengeful Spirit looked around.</p>
<p>Training raised his hand and got the same sort of studious reflection. "Except that we're all technically his household here, since we're guilded and we came here in the beginning as the squadron he's Commander over."</p>
<p>"Wait, you're military...all of you?" The Eagles nodded. "Hot damn," the Vengeful Spirit whispered in a victorious voice. "No way can you fail, then. Not when you've got me."</p>
<p>There were a few face palms and not a few raised eyebrows at that. "No, really," Michael said, "we really do need to know who you are."</p>
<p>The Vengeful Spirit chuckled an almost maniacal mad-man's chuckle, "Military history buff, political scientist extraordinaire, and Western Kingdom Assistant Seneschal."</p>
<p>"Oh, God," Training whispered, going a tad bit pale. Reed swallowed but didn't let his opinion out onto his face, and Michael sighed.</p>
<p>"Well, I guess that would put you at someone who would be full of ideas. But before we get there, we have to get you and all the rest of the Adventurers back. We'll work on that and get back to you, shall we?"</p>
<p>The Vengeful Spirit rubbed its hands together. "Sounds good to me."</p>
<p>"What would you like for the present? Anything?" Reed asked.</p>
<p>"Sure. A promise you'll do your best to take over all of the Western Hemisphere and clean things up."</p>
<p>Michael sighed. "We don't really need to take over anything, but we are hoping to help everyone clean up themselves as best they can. You're welcome to come up with scenarios and plans all you want for that. Is there anything a little more simplistic and immediate you'd like?"</p>
<p>"I'd love a photo of the three of you in your garb," the Vengeful Spirit said hopefully. The three slumped a little, but obediently put on the master and squire outfits they'd worn for the courts and weddings. P/R got them centered in a photo shot, took the picture, made a physical print of it, and handed it to the Vengeful Spirit. "Thanks!" it said quite happily and disappeared.</p>
<p>The three men went back to their usual clothing and slumped to the ground. The rest gathered around. "Okay. What's that all about?"</p>
<p>"He's so much a fanboy and military buff it isn't funny," Training moaned. "And it isn't really Mike. It's <em>any</em>one who played that game that was also real military. As he said, he's a military history buff - from every era imaginable. He probably spent more time at the library, and then in front of the computer learning everything he could than he did working real jobs.</p>
<p>"They made him be the Assistant Seneschal because he was a bit too intense for normal people to interact with, or he would have been the Seneschal - for life. He had stints in as the Kingdom Marshal, too, but that got him on the bad side of a few too many people who didn't want everything to be as historically correct as he did."</p>
<p>"Would his ideas be useful?" Schedules asked.</p>
<p>"Oh, yes," Training nodded. "He really does know his stuff and all the battles and what works and doesn't."</p>
<p>Michael sat up straight, his eyes wide. He looked around to P/R. "Do we have a list of names of regional Master Strategists, or just one of Caretakers?"</p>
<p>"Just one of Caretakers," P/R answered.</p>
<p>Reed was shaking his head at Michael, wishing the thought they were sharing away. Michael looked around the room, then up. He motioned and watched empty space, following something dropping down from above them. The High Priestess appeared a few steps above the ground and stepped down to the ground. "Yes, Michael?"</p>
<p>"Was that on purpose, to let us know who the Master Strategist is?"</p>
<p>"Yes."</p>
<p>Michael slumped onto his hand, his elbow on his leg. "Thank you, I guess. Are you the one who let him know who we were, too?"</p>
<p>"No. That's one of his own skills. He's rather paranoid."</p>
<p>Reed closed his eyes in resignation. "That's not new either," Training complained.</p>
<p>"So...he's going to try to make you king or emperor regardless?" Records asked.</p>
<p>"Probably, but you lot know how to handle that, I would think," Michael answered. "You should know that he was the level of Kingdom leadership because he isn't wrong about his skills as far as being able to manipulate people.</p>
<p>"He was just too much of a stick in the mud when it came to wanting things absolutely historically correct. We allow the newest members to fudge a bit so they can have fun while they learn. He stepped on toes in that regard. It was one of the ways he wasn't able to bend.</p>
<p>"You'll play the game with him, and he'll be playing his own. It will be a toss-up as to which side wins out in the end." Michael scowled up at the High Priestess, "Keep your nose out of it. I don't want it and you already know that. I'll head as much as I have to, but I'm not king nor emperor."</p>
<p>The High Priestess shrugged. "It will at least be an interesting secondary play to watch. Why would I interfere in that?" She turned with a flick of her tail and added over her shoulder, "Surely I'll be ever so relieved to watch you be irritated with someone other than me." She disappeared.</p>
<p>The group as a whole sighed, then got to work settling in for their rest break, glad that at least the next door was visible...at least they thought they might be glad. It was the last opening to the final level that would seal their darkly fated future. They were pretty sure Izanami wasn't at all interested in making it simple to go home. They were going to have to fight as hard as Shiroe every step of the way.</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>Meiki and MeowLi were ushered into the main room of their family suite by their nursemaids, washed and brushed to a soft shine. "Pretty!" Purrcy said kindly. MeowLi blushed slightly, but Meiki tossed her head proudly. Her red floral headdress' dangles swayed. Their kimonos were red with pink and white after the fashion of Japan rather than that of the temple, which the boys were wearing.</p>
<p>Because they were boys they were also in red, though of a more somber print. Normally the girls would be in black, so it was a treat for them to be in color today. The boys had gotten a bit impatient waiting on their sisters and had been playing by the couch, but they settled down now that it looked like the family might be ready to get Children's Day moving forward.</p>
<p>"It is an auspicious day, the third birthday of girls, meow," Nyanta smiled at the girls as he gave them gentle hugs. "Because it's a full day as always, we'll go to the shrine as a family first."</p>
<p>MeowLi looked up at her dad with a confused look. "What is a shrine?"</p>
<p>Purrcy gave a light chuckle. "Here in this place, the whole of the temple is the shrine. Chichiue has picked a place he feels is most appropriate."</p>
<p>Nyanta flicked an ear. "A shrine is where People of the Land and some Adventurers go to worship Inari, if they should choose to worship that one, or another kami they desire to earn favor from."</p>
<p>That explanation satisfied MeowLi. Nyanta took the girls by the hands and Purrcy called the boys over and took their hands. "We'll go so we can learn the traditions of Chichiue. In America, we don't worship in the same way, so I haven't seen it either." The boys each took the free hand of a girl and they disappeared from their family room.</p>
<p>The temple garden was quiet. Purrcy and the children blinked. In a part of the garden that was a bit secluded from the rest of the temple areas, Nyanta had actually built a small Japanese shrine. It was open to the air, with low walls around three sides, a taller wall at the back, with narrow pillars holding up the roof over it.</p>
<p>A thick red rope hung outside the closer half-wall from the overhanging roof. In the back on the tall wall was a stylized chair in the middle directly in front of the small entrance to the shrine. In front of the little shrine was a fountain of bubbling water.</p>
<p>Nyanta showed the children how to wash their hands using the ladle resting on the fountain, Purrcy helping pour the water over his hands. Then he showed them how to rinse out their mouths, explaining why each was done. Purrcy helped each of the children copy him, then performed the same for herself.</p>
<p>Nyanta led the girls up to the entrance of the shrine. He let go of MeowLi's hand and pulled on the thick red rope. Bells jangled. "We ring the bells to gain the attention of the kami," he explained, then motioned that MeowLi should pull on it. As she did, he stood back to let Meiki get to the rope as well. When she had also pulled on the rope, Nyanta led them into the shrine to stand at a respectful distance from the seat inside the shrine.</p>
<p>He put his hands together. "Now we clap to confirm the kami is listening, and show the kami respect by bowing." He clapped twice, bowed, and clapped again. The girls dutifully imitated him, looking at him from the corners of their eyes to make sure they'd done it right.</p>
<p>He nodded kindly at them. "Now we purray to the kami that we will receive blessings for this meowr third year, and for meowr life to come. Mew can say some things out loud if mew wish, or mew can hold them in meowr heart and say them in meowr mind if they're extra special."</p>
<p>He paused, then said, "Inari, please bless these my daughters in this their third year of life, that they will grow strong, wise, and stay as beautiful as they already are. Purrotect them from evil, and help them to know they are loved by their father, mother, and brothers."</p>
<p>He closed his mouth, but stayed in a respectful pose a bit longer, then he bowed and clapped one more time. "We respect the kami one final time, in gratitude for its willingness to hear our petition," he explained, then looked expectantly at MeowLi, who as oldest daughter would go first.</p>
<p>Her ear and tail twitched a bit nervously, but she took a deep breath and stood up straight. She clapped twice, bowed carefully, and carefully clapped a final time, glancing at Nyanta who gave an encouraging nod to let her know she'd remembered correctly.</p>
<p>MeowLi paused, taking another long breath, then said, "Inari, please bless me and Meiki, to grow up wise and courageous." She paused, then added, "Please always keep us a family and help us to be happy every day." The tip of her tail twitched slightly, then she bowed and clapped again.</p>
<p>Nyanta put his hand gently on her head and gave her a smile. He turned to Meiki and gave her an encouraging nod. Meiki straightened, took a breath, then immediately clapped twice, bowed a quick bow, and clapped again. Her ears turned as she thought about what she would say.</p>
<p>"Inari, please bless me and MeowLi with strength and safety from harm and injury. ...Please bless our family and our friends." She paused slightly, then bowed a bob again and clapped one more time, then looked at her father. Nyanta put his hand softly on her head and smiled. He turned and took their hands again and they left the shrine.</p>
<p>Nyanta looked at Purrcy and the boys, whose hands she was holding as they watched and waited. "In Japan, only the girls come and purray at the shrine on the third birthday. The boys will come for their fifth birthday, but it will be the same." The boys gave nods of understanding.</p>
<p>"Any of mew may come now that the shrine is built and purray if mew feel the desire or need," Nyanta said to them all. "We'll walk back, so that mew know how to find it." He looked at Purrcy. "But, before that, will mew purray also for our daughters?"</p>
<p>Purrcy tipped her head, then looked at her children. "It's the privilege of parents to pray for their children, that blessings beyond what they can bestow can be sent to them. While I pray for all of you constantly in my heart, I've been remiss and not taught you how I worship. May I teach you today?" They gave curious nods.</p>
<p>At an approving nod from Nyanta as well, Purrcy said, "In my religion, there is one God, and we call him God the Father for he created all things that exist in all the universes, thus is Father of them all.</p>
<p>"We live in a fallen state, having come from Him. To return to Him, he sent his Son - Jesus Christ - to Earth to show us the way back to Him. Because He exists in all things, we don't have to pray at only one place to him, but can pray anywhere or anytime, aloud or silently, the same as here."</p>
<p>Purrcy closed her eyes and bowed her head. "God, the Father and Creator of us all, thank you for these, Nyanta's and my children. Please watch over and bless our small family, and the larger family of those whom we love and who love us.</p>
<p>"In this their third year, please bless MeowLi and Meiki, that they will learn well, walk uprightly, and find joy and take delight in the small and simple things. Thank you for their happy smiles, cheerfulness, and the service they perform for others out of their tenderness. We love them very much, and also Miru and Setsubou. In the Name of Jesus Christ, amen."</p>
<p>She lifted her head and looked at her children with a smile. "Then, if you agreed with what I said in the prayer, you might also say 'amen' aloud as a word of agreement to the prayer that was said aloud."</p>
<p>The children considered it, then said quietly, "Amen," Nyanta saying it with them.</p>
<p>Holding the hands of the children again, they walked back towards the temple proper. "Will we be having the usual day, Hahaue?" Nyanta asked Purrcy.</p>
<p>"Yes," she answered, "but today, there will be a new part of the Children's Park for everyone to see," she smiled down at her children, who looked up in interest. "I think you'll enjoy it, particularly Meiki and Miru, although I would hope that MeowLi and Setsubou will also relax enough to explore it today. Exercise is good for everyone, and fun exercise is best of all."</p>
<p>Whiskers went up on two and down on two children, but she only smiled. Nyanta's silent firm response of agreement was felt by the two that would rather hide and read books and they slumped slightly with soft sighs.</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>Another prayer to God was being said shortly after that. This time it was one that hadn't been said by Brenner, nor written in glowing words by him. Another of the Eagles had said it for him, one who was also devout enough to agree to do it.</p>
<p>Brenner lifted a finger as he took the place in front of the squadron. "<em>On this, Easter Sunday, we remember the death and resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ. We know now how resurrection feels. Our first one we were so very relieved to return to life again. There were too many horror stories that if we were to be dragged into an alternate game reality we would die and never make it home.</em></p>
<p>"<em>That wouldn't be any different than our expectations while on Earth, except for the extra-strong desire - in fiction and in reality - that we be able to return home from a strange and difficult place. With that same intensity, when we left the presence of our Father in Heaven to go to the strange and difficult place we call Earth, we desired to return home to heaven and to God.</em></p>
<p>"<em>Here, we have the Cathedrals. In reality, we have Jesus Christ, who loosed the bands of death so that when we really die, we can return at the last day and live together with God again in joy and thanksgiving.</em>" Brenner paused, lowering his hand for a bit to rest it and to meditate briefly on that thought.</p>
<p>He raised his hand again. "<em>Let us pray.</em>" He wrote out the Lord's Prayer while the Eagles who wanted to recited it aloud. "<em>Our Father in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever, amen.</em>"*</p>
<p>Brenner paused again, then wrote again. This time he wrote the words he'd quoted to Purrcy at Christmas from Isaiah, chapter 53. As he wrote, remembering his Savior, feelings stirred in him again. When his finger fell he paused, looking at the ground.</p>
<p>The ground was an almost clear white. The spirits of the men in front of him were almost exactly that - smoky white spirits. It was as if he walked in a ghost land all the time now, all color washed away. He tried to shake off the feeling enough he could continue, taking a deep breath before raising his hand to write again.</p>
<p>Brenner was glad the rest of his sermon based off that passage was memorized. He was able to make it through it somehow. When he was done the men sang the song he'd picked for that day and the pilot he'd asked to close the Easter service with prayer stood and prayed respectfully.</p>
<p>As soon as he could get free, Brenner texted Gareth, "<em>I need to go and meditate. Can you take me to a safe and secluded place?</em>"</p>
<p>One of the smoky figures came towards him and a firm hand took Brenner's. He was glad for that much each time he needed it. To only see ghostly figures made it difficult sometimes to remember that he lived in a physical world. To feel solid people helped him stay attached to reality at those times. He gripped Gareth's shoulder, needing the feel of that under his hand as well.</p>
<p>By the time they reached the place Gareth was taking him, Brenner could barely walk and Gareth was supporting him. He let Brenner sink to his knees, crouching down with him. The hand on Brenner's shoulder held him anchored, as did the feel of solid earth under his knees. He put one hand on the ground as well and dug his fingers into the cool, dry soil. "Are you going to live?" Gareth asked quietly.</p>
<p>The tears were warm on Brenner's cheeks and his jaw clenched against the lump in the base of his throat and the tightness of his heart. When he could tangle out an answer from all the emotions, he lifted his hand and wrote, "<em>I need to talk to Mrs. Purrcy.</em>"</p>
<p>Gareth sighed. "Made you think of Christmas, did it?" Brenner nodded. It was more than that, but that was all he could tell Gareth anyway. "Well, that's all well and good, but I'm not sure I want to leave you alone without eyes on you right now."</p>
<p>Gareth paused, then said, "Okay. Let me teach you how to spirit walk. You can talk to her that way without having to write, I'll bet. You can cast your room for confession in the spirit realm and talk to her, and I'll stay out here and watch you in the base realm."</p>
<p>Brenner paid close attention to the lesson - as close as he could. After some effort and not being able to slip out into the spirit realm, he paused and reconsidered. He cast the confessional spell first, then humbly asked in his heart if he could meet with Purrcy there. Then he tried to slip out again. This time he was able to do it.</p>
<p>It was like breathing for the first time - a deep breath as his spirit stretched out to fill the entire space of the enclosing confessional, unfolding and flowing in soft undulations. He did re-combine into a more human shape with feet on the spiritual surface of the planet he was on, but it was as gentle a process as the flowing unfolding had been. He no longer felt the tightness in his chest and felt more relaxed than he had in a long time.</p>
<p>Once Brenner wasn't completely filling the confessional so there was room, Purrcy slowly appeared before him in that space, also a glowing white like he was, although her patterning could still be made out. She smiled softly at him.</p>
<p>Like his spirit had expanded, so had his mind and ability to think and conceptualize. The things that had been hidden in the folds were returned to him again and he was reassimilating those memories and thoughts. He'd had the inklings of what had been hidden, but now he was seeing them completely again. It was relieving to understand in whole again.</p>
<p>"It was very hard to understand," Brenner said to Purrcy, "to have only glimpses and feelings that also brought up doubt when it just didn't seem right because I couldn't see clearly."</p>
<p>"Yes," Purrcy nodded. "And you may go back to doubt again when you return to your body again, but it should be possible to return with a peace to counteract it that can remind you that when you were here this way you did see it completely and it wasn't as bad as the doubt makes it seems."</p>
<p>Brenner pondered that, then found where he could put that peace. "It's what my faith should contain. I'll remember the peace there."</p>
<p>"Good," Purrcy smiled kindly again.</p>
<p>Brenner sat cross-legged on the ground and motioned to the ground in front of him. He had to shift his back a bit, then realized it was because he had to move wings - large, soft, white spirit wings. He shifted them until they were comfortable. "So...I'm an angel here?"</p>
<p>Purrcy had settled in front of him by then. "No. An Archangel. You'll earn the Class eventually, once you're strong enough in the base realm."</p>
<p>Brenner blinked at her. He knew she wasn't going to tell him how to get his skill up to that Class. He'd have to work that out on his own. "I'd really like to have real sight again soon," he did say.</p>
<p>"Keep growing and learning," she advised him. "It will come. There are still things you need to learn from that place, too."</p>
<p>Brenner sighed. It wasn't what he really wanted to talk to her about, though. "Mrs. Purrcy, even with my expanded spiritual understanding, I still need to work out the issues of the doubt. Will you please tell me why when I'm corporeal I feel like you are Christ?"</p>
<p>Purrcy nodded. "It's my aspect of Caretaker, as Gareth said before. It is the pure love of Christ for all, and it is the Spirit of God that's in all of mankind. Because it's also in you, and you're practiced in feeling it and knowing it, you recognize it in me. When I'm in that aspect it's nearly all and only those. We as humans who practice Christianity equate that to Christ himself.</p>
<p>"Your doubt is rational. I am not Christ. However, because on Theldesia I desire to act as he would act here, he is also present with and to me when I do. So you also feel him when he is here with me. In that respect, you are seeing Christ. I wouldn't make it through most days if he wasn't walking with me." Brenner could sympathize.</p>
<p>He pondered her words for a bit, allowing them to settle in the parts of him that he knew would remember this conversation just enough. There were a lot of other theological questions that pushed at him around the edges, but they weren't what he needed. The answer she'd just given him was.</p>
<p>"Thank you, Hahaue," Brenner said. He sat and rested for a bit, then looked back at his body. It seemed so small from here. He took a breath and held it a bit.</p>
<p>"I'll stay with you until you've returned," Purrcy promised. Brenner glanced at her, then gave a nod.</p>
<p>He closed his eyes and carefully folded himself again, following Gareth's instructions to return to his body. It was a tight squeeze and when he was only in his body again and he'd forgotten, it was very painful physically and emotionally. But warm arms of comfort were holding him and there was a purr in his ear.</p>
<p>Purrcy didn't leave until Brenner had sorted through what he could remember and found comfort and peace had remained inside, too, with just enough words to counter the doubt and confusion he'd been in before: "It is the Spirit of God. I am not Christ. I desire to act as he would act here. He is also present when I do. I wouldn't make it through if he wasn't walking with me."</p>
<p>Brenner could live with that since it was what he prayed for and hoped for every day of his own life. If feeling that God walked with Purrcy was a proof that his own faith and hope wasn't in vain, then he could continue to walk forward on his current path.</p>
<p>Brenner looked up into Gareth's face, knowing it was worried even if he couldn't see that worry. "I'm not dead. I live." A warm hand landed on his shoulder and squeezed it, but Gareth didn't say anything. Likely his own relief that Brenner was allowed to speak again had brought on more tears of his own - the softy. "Thank you for being my partner." He got a hug for that one.</p>
<p>Brenner patted Gareth's back until Gareth recovered. "You'd better say something soon, so I don't keep thinking you're the one who's lost your voice now," Brenner teased.</p>
<p>Gareth let Brenner go, although he still held on to Brenner's upper arm. "Can you see?" Brenner was relieved that the worse possibility wasn't also true, and that he could still hear.</p>
<p>"No. That hasn't come back yet, although it will eventually." Gareth helped Brenner stand and put his hand on the guiding shoulder again. Brenner wiped his face with his sleeve, Gareth doing the same, and they returned to the room everyone was camped out in this Easter Sunday on Theldesia.</p><hr/>
<p>*Matthew 6:9-13, <em>Holy Bible.</em></p>
<p>
  <em>Happy Resurrection Day 2021, to those who celebrate it. I'm glad to be able to post this chapter at the proper timing.</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Redirection</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"So, that's the summary of the spiel we think will work to get people on board for the world quests," Secretary said. Nods went around the squad. It had sounded good.</p>
<p>P/R took back over. "While that's the easy part, we think the hard part's going to be a lot harder than we'd like it to be. Brenner's comment about the belt between the mountain ranges struck a thought that took hammering out a few other bugs to properly speak up in my head." He shifted and sighed slightly.</p>
<p>"You know how most of the west coast is very liberal, right?" He got nods. "But the majority of the beltway between the mountain ranges is conservative." They were following him. "We need to know exactly where all the liberal voices are going to end up. If they end up resurrecting in the most conservative cities in the western religious strip, it's going to go right back to cat eat dog."</p>
<p>There were slumps of despondent understanding. "It would be far better if we could somehow sort out who gets resurrected where, so that the groups who have to assimilate aren't quite so polar," Records pointed out. "We don't know if that can be a request to Izanami or not."</p>
<p>Schedules nodded his head. "Our other option we've thought of is to send you way back, Sir, and have you scope out all of the cities. There's details that could be worked out so you don't have to do all of the work yourself, maybe, but if we could see just who the players were to target them early, and if we could maybe -"</p>
<p>"Silicon Valley," Charlie interrupted. "They're busy with coding and work, but some of them let off steam in games, too. They'd have the skills of Programmers if no one else did. If we could get them working on a back up to the Cathedrals, even if just one for the south half of the coast and one for the north half, then the coastal set wouldn't have to show up inside the ranges."</p>
<p>Michael rubbed his chin. Reed folded his arms. The operation team gave them time to think then followed it up with, "And we'd like for you to go do all that...<em>before</em> we fight the fourth level. At the latest after the boss battle but before we go in to fix things up. If we don't have it all set up proper before we let them all loose, the regret will be more than we can handle."</p>
<p>Both commanders had to agree with that one. Plans that had the way smoothed beforehand went off well. Plans from the hip last minute left one wishing they'd been smarter.</p>
<p>"We can't all walk out before the repair or we start over," Michael pointed out. They accepted that. He was the one that could time walk, so was one who had to leave to recon. "How long would it take you to scope out one city for who's who?" Michael asked BlackJack and Bowie.</p>
<p>They looked at each other. "We've got the practice now on Yamato and in China, although we'd expect the U.S. Adventurer cities to have higher population per. Say...three days tops?" Bowie answered. He frowned a bit. "It may be less once I've got this upgrade figured out, but I'd say that for sure on the first one while I get that figured out."</p>
<p>"Can anyone else walk through the spacial realm besides me?" Michael asked. "Crossing the Sierras and getting to the inner cities will take a while any other way of traveling."</p>
<p>"Maybe Stiletto," Bowie answered. "He could pass through walls like they weren't there, anyway, before."</p>
<p>"It's a bit of a pain not having him around," grumbled one.</p>
<p>"It will be a pain because I'll have to be the taxi," Michael agreed. "We need to have one to walk all the current-time cities to find the closest one that still has a Cathedral so we know where the west coast Adventurers will end up.</p>
<p>"I'd send a sub-set of Maintenance to the past Silicon Valley area to recruit if possible, and to have them work up if it's even possible to hide, protect, or recreate a Cathedral. No one had much luck in Yamato."</p>
<p>Michael paused thinking hard about it, then shook his head. "We need Intel to go back in the past and gather specific data for each city. Operation Play Nice team, put together a set of specific data points you need to know or want to know for planning. Mark what's past and what's present knowledge you need. Reed, you and I'll work out a similar list since we might need to know other things before we get going.</p>
<p>"I'll go hunt down Stiletto and bring him back here. If he can walk, and if all three of you go, you'll get each city done faster. Even if he can't walk, I might be able to carry three now.</p>
<p>"Charlie, I need you to work up a way that the past can communicate with our present. If we've got allies in the past who need to leave us a message, then you're the man to set that up. I'll also want to test your range now to see if the few of us head inland you can still pick us up. We won't be leaving the region so it should be okay, but I'd like us to be absolutely sure we'll stay in contact.</p>
<p>"Gareth, get us a large campaign map. We need to know exactly which cities we're talking about. Can't plan a campaign if we don't know where we're going.</p>
<p>"We need to sit and review the data from the Arida campaigns, too. Tetorō's dropped them off while we were in the last level: one evil Master Strategist and one completely unstable region just for our learning pleasure." He considered a bit longer, then rubbed the back of his neck. "And...we might want to consider getting inside and fixing up just two lines before we pull the trigger on all the rest of them."</p>
<p>The rest of the Eagles weren't so sure. Sure, they liked Brian, but that didn't mean they needed him for the operation. The Master Strategist might be one, but he was also perhaps just as much a crackpot and they'd done their own military history studies.</p>
<p>Michael shrugged. "It would at least prove where they're going to resurrect." That he got buy-in for. They'd rather have a few experimental test subjects they could sort of count on at the first rather than a horde of those they'd rather have left behind in sudden unexpected locations.</p>
<p>Clocktower raised his hand. "I think given the reception we've gotten so far, we can expect one more 'final battle' - that in the tree room itself. Half the Adventurers of the western region as Vengeful Spirits against all of us is a rather large number."</p>
<p>"Good point," Reed answered.</p>
<p>"That means practicing your cleric spells before we walk in there so they're high enough level we can lock them all down without making them dead completely," Gareth said dryly. "We might want the banishment spells eventually, but not in there - even if they would like it."</p>
<p>That gave all the rest something to do during this phase of the game. MasterChiefS7 put it all together and handed out the summary orders.</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>Stiletto found it ever so helpful to have been given his evidence against his enemy before he entered the Gate of Time, Once he'd had his lessons at the Newcomer's Welcome and Training Center, he'd known exactly which temple to join himself to, and then known exactly where to appear to get the physical evidence or eyewitnesses he needed.</p>
<p>He'd been able to get the person convicted that needed to be convicted, which had led to the angry response of him being framed for pushing Schedules out of the Gate of Time at the wrong time. He'd only had to show himself instead of his felinoid form at just the right times to make it happen the way it was supposed to.</p>
<p>Then, when the convicted man had just crossed into the boundary of the Gate of Time to carry out his punishment of banishment, a thin knife to the ribs was all it had taken so that he never appeared outside the Gate of Time. Stiletto wasn't interested in having him stay alive outside it. Loose ends usually meant death for the one who hadn't bothered tying them up.</p>
<p>Within the time it took him to set all of that up and get to the resolution, he'd learned how to walk the time realm and dance all the realms rather lightly. He'd picked a role in the temple that had helped him do that. He was mostly ready now. There was only one thing left to do.</p>
<p>Stiletto had been watching himself as he walked all the threads he could see, following his own shadow as it were, and he'd found there was one thread that wasn't in the line he was following very specifically. It surely had to be his exit thread. When he suddenly found himself on it as his enemy went up in death bubbles, he smiled a tight smile to himself, his tail swishing lightly in response. (He kind of liked having a tail, actually.)</p>
<p>He turned and stepped through space. He said a farewell to his favorite felinoid in the city. Then he traveled a hidden path until he reached the place at the veil where Michael would pass through to go to the linear Gate of Time. Stiletto intercepted the four guards that caught sight of Michael and moved to stop him, preventing them from moving just that right amount of time so that Michael was gone before they could catch him. He did the same when he himself entered for the First time, watching his own footsteps and staying hidden from himself.</p>
<p>With a sigh of relief that much was done Stiletto spacial stepped himself to the proper location at that veil, then stepped through the veil and time. He landed in a mostly-desert location at what looked like sunrise. He pulled up a region map for the area and was relieved he was at least in the southern part of the middle U.S. region. Texas was an okay place to be for now. He had time to explore. He played around with the realms for a bit before moving too far, testing the difference between the base Theldesia and the Gate of Time.</p>
<p>He was restricted in the time realm, now that he was out of the unbounded Gate of Time. He understood how to move in it, and had some limited motion forward and back, but it looked like it was going to be mostly a visual distraction out here. He suspected that the AIs had locked him out for now while they played with Time themselves. It might change later, although he wouldn't complain if it didn't. The rest of the realms seemed to work the same as before, as he would expect.</p>
<p>Once Stiletto was sure, he danced to the closest Adventurer city on his map to where he needed to go - El Paso. He wondered if Juares, Mexico, would have combined with them, since both cities were so close and about the same size. He found El Paso deserted and was rather amazed. He stepped across the border and found Juares jam packed with people.</p>
<p>Sitting at the edge of the base realm, but not in it, he listened for a long time, then stepped out with a disguise on, looking like a short skinny Mexican instead of a short skinny African-American. He carefully asked questions of street vendors - just enough to get an outline of how things had gone down in Mexico. It would be enough to get them started on repairs when they could make it down here.</p>
<p>Not wanting to wait too long outside the region he was supposed to be in, he returned to the code realm, scrubbed the disguise (going to his usual code realm disguise), danced across two borders and headed for Tucson, Arizona. He wasn't holding out much hope for the desert city.</p>
<p>"Stiletto, you out yet?" came as a chat. Stiletto froze in time and space. "I'm asking for like, the millionth time."</p>
<p>"Ah, yeah, I got dumped out in Texas so stopped by to check out the twin border cities, sorry Sir," he answered.</p>
<p>"Where are you close to?" Michael asked.</p>
<p>"I was headed to Tucson."</p>
<p>"I'll meet you there," Michael responded. "Are you spacial walking?"</p>
<p>"Yes." Stiletto got moving again, knowing Michael was already walking, too. "I was able to get my upgraded skill up to the Class."</p>
<p>"Which is?" Michael asked.</p>
<p>"Astral Mage."</p>
<p>"Okay. I'll bite. What the heck is an astral mage?"</p>
<p>"Well, I think I'd like to know, too," Stiletto mused. "I think Realm Dancer would be more properly descriptive, except it's more than that. All of my Aural Dweller skills got the boost - and that was confusing enough. I had to be in the Gate of Time to learn to understand the time realm because I was boosted up so that I had no barriers at all. It wasn't just walls I could walk through any more."</p>
<p>"That's going to be very useful, then," Michael said, pleased.</p>
<p>"Why?" Stiletto asked.</p>
<p>"You and I need to go walking to figure out just how bad the return is going to be. That means recon back in the past."</p>
<p>"Well...," Stiletto hedged. "I experimented with time walking when I got in and couldn't go very far."</p>
<p>"Mmm, well, we'll test it again when we get together," Michael answered. He sighed. "Tucson isn't any better, although it's still got buildings standing up here and there."</p>
<p>"Yeah, there were people in Juares who said that they had to throw out the U.S. Adventurers to keep their city from utter destruction. It was a bitter fight, apparently, trying to keep the El Paso Adventurers out of the city.</p>
<p>"El Paso itself is empty. There is a standing Cathedral. I think they died in between the two cities, or migrated east or west." He flew into airspace over Tucson and looked for Michael's beacon, settling on Michael's shoulder when he found him.</p>
<p>"Hey," Michael said. "You're sparkly."</p>
<p>"I am?" Stiletto asked in surprise.</p>
<p>"Yeah. Come out here and let me read your stats." Michael waved his hand in the space in front of him. Stiletto flew to hover in front of Michael, switching to hummingbird for it. "That's an appropriate form," Michael teased him dryly, reading the status screen at the same time. Stiletto had unlocked the hidden data just for him so he could.</p>
<p>"Interesting. It may have been the upgrade or the increases in level to the full Class. It's not as high as your personal level, but it's decent. We've moved up of course, but you're not very far behind, working as hard as you were in the Gate of Time. We're only at the end of the third level, too, so you've got one dungeon level to gain levels in."</p>
<p>Stiletto rolled his eyes and moved back to Michael shoulder. "Thanks. The sparkly might also be part of being able to walk all the realms at once."</p>
<p>"That's an interesting concept," Michael said, giving him a look from the corner of his eye.</p>
<p>"It was hellishly confusing," Stiletto complained. "Only figuring out Time helped me make any sense of the rest of it. It took a while to figure out how to be fully in any one realm at one time, too."</p>
<p>"Well, hold on tight and I'll take you home. We've got lots of work to do and they'll be interested in hearing the details. You can test again and see how tightly boxed in time is for you out here after they've heard it. We'll need you to carry others if you can move through time."</p>
<p>"Hope my level's already high enough, then," Stiletto muttered. He was rather done with all the grinding for a while, like he was done with Maze of Eternity dungeon levels.</p>
<p>He sat and rested there on the broad shoulder that carried all of them through this and really relaxed for the first time in a long time, flowing back into the moth form he preferred. Moths were very good at camouflage and stayed flat against the surface they hid on. It was a safe form, and he was in a safe place. He was hard asleep pretty fast.</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>"Hey, did'ja finally get your fairy, Link?" Michael was teased when he arrived back over the encampment in the code realm.</p>
<p>"Glad you're keeping watch properly," he answered and stepped into the base realm to face Gareth. "I just left to go get Stiletto and we're on hold between the third and fourth levels of the western Maze of Eternity."</p>
<p>"Right," Gareth gave a nod. "We've got lunch about ready." His eyes scanned Michael and the air to either side of him. "Did you really retrieve Stiletto?"</p>
<p>Michael looked at his shoulder, then phased just into the code realm. He poked Stiletto. "Hey, drop to the base realm." He wondered if that was a bad idea moments later, but when he didn't collapse under a fully human Stiletto, he blinked a bit.</p>
<p>The corner of Gareth's lip turned up. "He's turned into a sparkly what?"</p>
<p>Michael shrugged and that still didn't wake Stiletto up. "He can dance the realms, is what he calls it." He knew he was telling everyone. They were all intrigued to see the sparkly moth on his shoulder. "He's been under so much stress he's pretty dead asleep. I think we'll have to wait to hear the full story. He can walk all the realms, all at once, is what he tells me. That was his upgrade. Time out here is a bit wonky for him still since he learned in the unbounded Gate of Time and he tested it just after Inari got hold of it. We'll see if we get that bonus, but even just the spacial walking will be really helpful." They all agreed with that.</p>
<p>Michael carefully placed the moth-Stiletto someplace he wouldn't be walked on, but would fit if he changed back to human base form before he woke up. Michael wasn't interested in being suddenly squashed flat at some random time in the near future. Just to be sure, he tied in a connection to him as well. "Bowie, get the code from Gareth or Brenner to keep track of him. If he walks while sleeping it will freak him out."</p>
<p>Bowie gave a nod and headed into the code realm to get a copy of the code that Gareth used to track Michael, since it included the time realm anchor element.</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>Isuzu sighed. She leaned back in her chair, and tapped the table top with a finger. She was rather weary, actually. She closed her eyes but kept her ears open. Here on the coast had been a little more dangerous.</p>
<p>While the pirates were being kept out, and Shiroe had reassured her that they shouldn't be a problem since the Eagles had supposedly taken care of it before they left, the People of the Land were a mix between very timid, and those who could turn into pirates at the drop of the hat themselves. Those were the ones she had to watch. They weren't afraid to confront an Adventurer, and single young females were prime targets.</p>
<p>She hummed a bit, then gave a nod, rising to her feet. "I think I'll tell the new Pirate King he needs to come up here and settle his claim to Yamato, since he's in my guild. This is getting ridiculous." She turned around and glared at the men walking up behind her. "I would also wish the People of the Land could learn to read statuses so they would really know when they were facing an Adventurer."</p>
<p>They paused. It still took pulling her lute out of thin air and making Yomi-kun appear next to her to convince them she really was an Adventurer. They backed down after that, but still watched her. She walked up to the stage and began her nightly set. Singing new songs other than the usual Twenty-Four convinced them, too.</p>
<p>Isuzu added her newest one that night. It was one that told the story of the conquering of the Pirate King by the fierce general of Log Horizon. She'd loved the story of the tease that had won. It had been fun to write a pirate song, too.</p>
<p>It had also been self defense. Spreading the word of the story was all that would keep this coast calmed down. Michael wasn't here to do it himself. Her temple twitched in irritation. She really needed a vacation.</p>
<p>Isuzu was almost to Aomori on the north tip of Honshu - if she was on Earth which she still wasn't. She was ready for that to happen, too. She liked what she was doing, but she'd gotten twitchy. She wanted to be praised by people who understood the songs she would rather be writing suddenly. She'd begun writing popular songs - or at least songs she hoped would be popular and still in style - for when she got back. Those were the songs she liked best, after all.</p>
<p>Her feet were still itching with wanderlust when that set was over and she almost walked out of the inn, then decided she didn't need to be ambushed in the dark. She was up very early the next morning, though, getting on the road when there was still mist in the air and dew on the grass. She walked with long strides, Yomi-kun happily trotting along with her.</p>
<p>Isuzu's head nodded in time to the song she was writing in her head and playing on her recorder when she suddenly realized she recognized the fork in the road she'd come to. She could turn and continue on down into the next valley and town, or she could turn north and go through the Depths of Palm and on into Ezzo and up to Susukino.</p>
<p>Isuzu's eyes looked north, and her desire was suddenly to see the Giants she'd heard about and been singing about, too, now that the side-quest was completed. It was a song about the joint ventures of the three creatures - Adventurers, People of the Land, and Giants - and was the most disbelieved as real, although she did insist it was when asked.</p>
<p>She turned, then firmly started out on the path to the north. She might run into too many Plague Rats, and Naotsugu and Marielle might have completely cleaned it out for her. Even that much adventure was enough motivation to go that way. A detour to see what the final results of that were would be interesting.</p>
<p>To get to see with her own eyes that path that had been walked would fill her heart and mind. She welcomed the opportunity to actually <em>be</em> an Adventurer again. She was still responsible enough to let Shiroe know she was doing it, though. It was best to let people who cared know what you were doing when plans changed so they didn't worry.</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>Lord Chesterfield, Head Tutor to the two royal grandchildren of the Grand Duke of Maihama, had a definite goal in mind. He was trying very hard to not bluster out of nervousness, trying very hard to see the Adventurers in this board room as young men and young ladies, such as would be the oldest of those he taught.</p>
<p>It was rather difficult, although during the times they'd relaxed with his charges they had elements of youthfulness to them as all Adventurers did. It was most difficult because he <em>knew</em> down deep in his being that there weren't any that were younger than at least sixty, except perhaps the young secretary who was the age he was trying to see the rest as.</p>
<p>Guildmistress Marielle and her assistant had been in and around Akiba for at least those sixty years if not more, and were formidable when directly confronted. Since they were the Head Teacher and Head of Finance, they were quite in that position today. Thus it was terribly difficult to see them in any other way, and thus difficult to control his nervousness.</p>
<p>At least the one-hundred-year-old Archmage wasn't present for this meeting. It was true that he was at best a recluse. Lord Chesterfield had seen him only very briefly at one formal function to be greeted politely, asked a few questions, and been left sweating, hoping he'd answered sufficiently and not been offensive.</p>
<p>Still, Lord Chesterfield had a definite goal and he must see it through. He looked at his assistants one more time (for a little courage), took a breath, and opened his mouth.</p>
<p>"Lady Marielle, Lady Henrietta, would it be possible for I and my assistants to take a few courses that are being taught to the lower classmen here at the Academy? We've reviewed the course list and appreciate being allowed to sit in on a few of the classes. There are several we've selected that we feel would be most beneficial." That was the first request.</p>
<p>"Also, after review, Duke Sergiad has requested that we negotiate on his behalf for a series of classes that he could send a properly selected group of students to." He blinked and drew in a breath for courage. "Specifically, in the field of research and development.</p>
<p>"While we can't hope to even touch the capabilities of the Adventurers, we don't have inventors and creators within our ranks, save to a slight degree. We feel that if we could be taught how it is the Adventurers process ideas and experiment upon them, we might in somewhat greater measure be able to create new technologies that can be of benefit to our people."</p>
<p>He knew he was treading on shaky ground there. There was the possibility that the Adventurers would find it a threat.</p>
<p>Based on the information Duke Sergiad's spies had brought back from Westlande, it was actually possible for People of the Land to do such research when assisted by Adventurers. While the Duke's motives weren't so dark as the regimes of Westlande, everyone understood that dark motives could appear at any future time regardless.</p>
<p>Marielle and Henrietta were looking at each other, communicating silently as they determined how to answer Lord Chesterfield. He sat stiffly upright and slightly sweating, and waited with his hands clasped lightly in front of him on the large dark wooden oval table in this office.</p>
<p>"I'm sure that you could be allowed to take courses here," Marielle said kindly. "Which ones have you selected?"</p>
<p>"There are several mathematics courses that we would like to attend. Specifically, Algebra and Geometry. While we have elements of them, we feel that it would be good to have a full understanding of both of them.</p>
<p>"The higher level courses we weren't able to tell if they would be helpful or not. Perhaps after understanding these two we might be able to tell. Regardless, they would be sufficient if that was all there was time for."</p>
<p>They'd been disappointed to learn that the majority of the other classes were either Earth-centric or Adventurer-specific and not applicable to People of the Land. Thus the necessity of the second request as well.</p>
<p>Once the Adventurers were gone, Westlande would have knowledge and capacity that the Free Cities of Eastal wouldn't have. That was a military disadvantage as everyone knew that the House of Saimiya still coveted Eastal and wanted to reunite the two nations again under one head. The people of Eastal would need to be able to defend themselves properly.</p>
<p>The urgency of their request, and thus the Grand Duke, was the impetus for their being sent at this time. They only had until the Adventurers left to learn from them. All other requirements were of lesser importance given they only had perhaps months. If they had a year, Lord Chesterfield and his assistants would only be relieved.</p>
<p>"We would certainly be glad to teach you what we can of algebra and geometry," Marielle answered, "however, the classes that are currently under way are perhaps already too far for bringing you in at this point in time."</p>
<p>She paused and Lord Chesterfield tried to wait patiently and not feel depressed this early in the negotiation. "Would you be looking for a short daily class or more intensive instruction?"</p>
<p>Lord Chesterfield blinked a bit. "While I'm sure my brain isn't as young as it used to be, truly a more intensive load would be preferable." That would be the best of all solutions as far as they were concerned. They didn't have anything else to do while in Akiba except alternately gawk and be scandalized.</p>
<p>Marielle nodded. "Let us speak to the instructors for those courses and see if there are any who would be willing to spend focused time with you during the day. Perhaps if we could split each day between the two classes, with a break in between for lunch and recovery, with one day of rest per week?"</p>
<p>"That would be highly agreeable," Lord Chesterfield answered graciously in relief.</p>
<p>A note was taken down and Marielle gave the floor to Henrietta. He wasn't surprised, but his heart sank just a little. It was a difficult thing, then, their second request.</p>
<p>Henrietta sat forward and interlaced her fingers on the table. "Research and development are not part of the curriculum offered here at Akiba Adventurer Academy, as you've stated. The reason for that is because they are contained within the other guilds of Akiba." Lord Chesterfield blinked. He'd not understood correctly, then.</p>
<p>"That would be considered at the university level of education here. If you wish to have People of the Land trained in those methods, you would need to negotiate with them. Research is contained in Roderick Trading Company. For proper development education, you would need to negotiate with Grandale and Radio Market. If you wished to include some level of manufacturing, then you would need to also talk to the people at Marine Organization. That's their specialty."</p>
<p>"Oh. I see." Lord Chesterfield sat back in his chair, a little nonplussed. His negotiation role had suddenly multiplied and become complex. It wasn't insurmountable, however. Cautiously, to feel it out, he asked, "Would they be willing to have People of the Land in their facilities?"</p>
<p>Henrietta shrugged. "I would think so. The guildmasters are all rather open. Each guildmember will be different, of course. Roderick is so enthusiastic already about research it's hard to get him to shut up as it is. However, it might be best if we took the initial concept to the next Round Table meeting to get general approval first."</p>
<p>And there it was. That was the hurdle that would be the hardest to overcome. "Do you think I might be allowed to present our case personally?" he asked, his fingers tightening along with his stomach, although he tried to not let it show.</p>
<p>Henrietta blinked and Marielle glanced at her. "I would think it would be okay," Marielle gave her opinion cautiously.</p>
<p>Henrietta frowned slightly, then gave a small sharp nod. "We'll ask Shiroe. Likely he'll be able to fit it in. It isn't an unreasonable request."</p>
<p>"Thank you very much." Lord Chesterfield could only be grateful to have that much assistance. Such small steps forward sometimes did end in positive results. It was what he had to expect and what he could only continue to hope for.</p>
<p>"If you don't mind us breaking for a short while, we'll see if we can find instructors for the two math classes to come and join us. We should work out together a firm schedule so that you aren't wasting your time," Henrietta said.</p>
<p>Lord Chesterfield bowed his head. "We would be happy to wait. Thank you." The two Ladies rose and left the room, leaving the secretary to offer the tutors tea. Lord Chesterfield turned slightly and looked at his assistants. He sighed lightly. "Well, at least that much should keep us very busy for some time. I do hope our charges will be diligent in their own studies without us to keep watch over them."</p>
<p>"Well," one said, "if the courses are both taught daily for half the day, then we would be alternately available."</p>
<p>"True enough," Lord Chesterfield relaxed back in his chair. <em>He</em> would be busy for the full day needing to know both subjects.</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>It was Thursday night, meaning it was date night. Since Shiroe <em>was</em> a recluse, the other three had made him return to holding to that pattern as soon as everything had settled back down.</p>
<p>This April day was rather rainy, in a light misty sort of way, so they were holed up in a quiet restaurant. It was rather cozy with candle light for lighting instead of bright magical lights, and a cheerful fire in the fireplace against the slight chill in the air that the evenings and nights still held.</p>
<p>Since the meeting with Lord Chesterfield and the other tutors had been earlier that day, Marielle had requested she be able to give the report at the dinner - her first opportunity to see Shiroe afterwards.</p>
<p>"We've scheduled each day so that the instructors teach for two hours, the students get a half hour break to recover, and then a tutor comes in and helps them work through problems until lunch time and dinner time. That way the teachers don't have to give up a full half-day every day, just a few hours, the same for the tutors. That seemed to be a better balance for the Adventurers who were willing to help out."</p>
<p>She brushed her blond curls back from her face. "It's an expensive proposition and Henrietta's been in negotiations with Duke Sergiad based on what the teachers and tutors asked to be paid. It's hard to ask them to commit to every day.</p>
<p>"We could find a few more tutors to split the week, but we decided that to split teaching within classes would be too difficult since how far they've understood is likely to vary each day, making writing a set curriculum perhaps irrelevant in the end. It was just easier to keep it to one teacher per course."</p>
<p>Shiroe nodded. "That sounds very reasonable. I'm pleased you were able to find willing teachers at all."</p>
<p>"We were very relieved as well," Marielle agreed. "One of them did say on his way out the door, though, that he fully intended to include it on his resume when he returned. He's decided to become a math teacher when he gets back home."</p>
<p>"Ah, an ulterior motive." Shiroe smiled at Naotsugu's knowing comment.</p>
<p>Marielle smiled at Naotsugu. "At least it's a proper motivation to get everyone what they hoped for." She turned back to Shiroe, looking a little concerned. "His other request...is more...difficult?" She bit her lip.</p>
<p>Shiroe took a moment to glance at Akatsuki and squeeze her hand. She didn't seem too upset that they were talking work, but that had also been part of the pattern from the beginning. She did smile at him, glad to get his attention for a moment. He smiled back and returned his attention to Marielle.</p>
<p>"Apparently Duke Sergiad wants to send people over to learn research and development. We let Lord Chesterfield know that he would need to talk to the other guilds for that." Shiroe's attention had sharpened at the first sentence. Marielle had obviously expected that, but she kept going.</p>
<p>"Henrietta said that we should bring it to the next Round Table meeting and he requested that he be able to present his case personally, if possible." She'd presented the request and sat looking at him expectantly. Shiroe's mind was already flying through all the pros and cons and reasons why the request had been made.</p>
<p>It was quite obvious to him. All the way from the most concerning political reasons to the most simple one - being that even the People of the Land had enjoyed benefiting from the creature comforts the Adventurers considered natural and normal but the People of the Land had found rather miraculous. Surely they would want to be able to continue to come up with such things on their own the same as humanity had been creating tools of convenience from the beginning.</p>
<p>"I'll work on limitations. He should work hard, though, so I will also fit him into the schedule. Have him wait in your office until we're ready to hear from him," Shiroe finally answered Marielle. She gave a relieved nod and they let the topic of conversation turn to more relaxing things to think about.</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>Another meeting of sorts was going on that evening as well. This one was at Crescent Moon League, and was being held in the dining room as best a meeting could be in that location. Of course it was only a meeting because Iselius was so serious about everything he did, and he was telling them what had been decided for his and Raynessia's schedule.</p>
<p>"My tutor will be teaching me in the mornings and I'll have the afternoons free for self-study. Raynessia's tutor will be teaching her and Neville in the afternoons. They'll have the mornings for self-study."</p>
<p>They all knew "self-study" meant "free time" to be lazy for Raynessia and "city exploration" time for Iselius as he was so super curious about everything the Adventurers did. For Neville, it likely meant boredom. They looked at him sympathetically.</p>
<p>Instead of slumping, Neville actually looked a bit cheerful. "There is the possibility that I will be able to learn something else new, although the Head Tutor is still in negotiations. Apparently it would be classes at Roderick Trading Company."</p>
<p>That got the interest of everyone who knew what went on there. "You'd be taking university courses, then?" Serera asked.</p>
<p>"Yes," Neville said happily. "While I don't know exactly what that entails, I do know that Duke Sergiad is very keen to see that we learn what we can from there, so I'll do my best."</p>
<p>"Good luck with that," Touya said, putting his chin on his hand and resting his elbow on the table next to his plate. "Those are harder classes, although here it might not be so bad. It's not like anyone knows how to be a professor - except maybe Purrcy-san, and she's not a teacher there."</p>
<p>Qwased paled slightly. "Her class at the Academy is most definitely a college level class. Henrietta-sensei is really a sergeant in the classroom, too. I'm not even a month into it and it's taking as much time and more as Serera warned. I was glad to get the survey class done so I could have the extra hour."</p>
<p>Rudy nodded. "It is very much like that. When I submitted my final project I felt as light as the clouds for two days, not having that pressure on me."</p>
<p>Minori shuddered. "I didn't think I'd ever get mine submitted. I got dragged through it by Marielle-san and Touya. It has been terribly useful, however. There is so much that we use every day at Grandpa's Kitchen."</p>
<p>Touya nodded. "Iselius, you might find it equally useful to take that class. They'll be starting up another one in another week, I think." He looked at Serera.</p>
<p>Serera sat upright, always the cheerleader for the Academy, "Yes, it's a difficult class but it's been one of the most popular. Since you'll need to understand the finances of running the whole grand duchy, I would think you'd find it a very helpful course.</p>
<p>"It includes the important new points of financing, loans, and other similar financial things that didn't used to exist on Theldesia but do now. You might want to come just for those parts of the class at the least."</p>
<p>Iselius looked keenly interested in that. "Will I have enough background?"</p>
<p>The others looked at each other. "We don't know, not being your tutors," Minori said carefully, "but even still, it would be a good class for you. If you were to choose to take it we could help tutor you, since we've been through it."</p>
<p>MeowLi's ear turned. "Purrhaps I could also take it with you. I think it would be good to have that kind of knowledge as well, and that's a topic I didn't study before."</p>
<p>Iselius perked up at that. "I would like to have someone else to take it with so we could work together outside of class."</p>
<p>"I would like that also," MeowLi agreed.</p>
<p>"Great," Serera said. "I'll let Henrietta-san know to add you two to the class, then." They both gave nods of approval.</p>
<p>"Ah, will that interfere in the Spring Festival?" Raynessia asked.</p>
<p>The Adventurers in the group shook their heads. "No. Since all of us will be going down for it, classes will be on holiday, like they were for the Winter Festival," Touya smiled. "That would actually be a good opportunity to get caught up on projects and homework if you've fallen behind."</p>
<p>"Well...we were hoping to go with you," Raynessia said.</p>
<p>Iselius looked torn, like he'd do both if he could. "All your tutors for that class will be down there. If you got bored - which is highly unlikely and you do need to learn to relax, Iselius - you could do school work instead of play," Minori scolded him.</p>
<p>Iselius slumped a little. "Well, we have agreed we'll go. Our tutors will be returning to Maihama for that short time to report to Grandfather, and to get their own vacation," he grinned at them. They understood and grinned back.</p>
<p>"Will you also be going with them, Lady MeowLi?" Neville asked.</p>
<p>MeowLi's ears turned in thought. "I think I would like to see at least one Adventurer festival. Like Lord Iselius, I'm terribly interested in them. I'm not sure if Guildmaster Shiroe will approve it or not, though. I can't leave Akiba unless he's said I may."</p>
<p>Rudy, Minori, and Touya all waved hands at her. "You'll go. We'll all be going and wouldn't leave you here alone, regardless," Touya said.</p>
<p>Rudy nodded. "You won't be any safer anywhere than with Log Horizon, even out in the wilds. I survived just fine walking from Ninetails Dominion to here before I was even made an Adventurer. It isn't all that bad, really. It will just be a new and fascinating adventure for you, and that is the best way to see what and who Adventurers really are."</p>
<p>He grinned a large smile at MeowLi and included Raynessia, Iselius, and Neville in it as well. They all smiled back at him, knowing he would know.</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>MeowLi didn't want to be anywhere near the teasing children of the junior school any more. Not ever again. She lay in her hiding place in the Children's Park, her ears flat against her head.</p>
<p>Their fourth birthday was not far off, and the children had been demanding to know what new thing was going to be unveiled at the park on that day. All four of them had been trying hard to not say anything at all, like they'd been taught strictly.</p>
<p>Miru strutted and boasted, but then would act secretive when the friends around him tried to guess. Somehow he knew how to blow them off and they just had to deal with it. Meiki teased mercilessly until everyone left her alone out of despair or irritation. Setsubou was already not messed with much. Everyone knew he was quiet and couldn't be budged. He just said, "I don't know," and they left him alone.</p>
<p>No one left MeowLi alone, though, even if she did say, "I don't know." She didn't know how to tease - if she did they called her mean and spiteful - and she'd never been able to be like Miru. She didn't like being the only one hated and picked on mercilessly. So she'd run away from the school yard when the chaos of everyone being called back in for classes had given her the opportunity to run.</p>
<p>Now she was hiding, her heart clenched and hurting, wishing she could change everything, and be back at home working with her tutors quietly there. She much preferred to be studying and learning fascinating things. Why did they have to go and ruin it by pressuring her for things she couldn't say, and didn't know?</p>
<p>She closed her eyes and shivered, putting her front paws over her nose. She almost had it to where they were short-fingered fur-covered hands, but she didn't want to put in that effort right now. Besides it was easier to hide as a small cat.</p>
<p>Suddenly, to her utmost surprise, MeowLi was being picked up and carried out of her hiding place - except that she didn't get snagged or cut by the branches of the bush she'd been under. She was carried over to one of the benches the adults sat on to watch the children run and play, then was set down on a lap. A large warm hand began to stroke her from head to tail.</p>
<p>"Well, really, it isn't good to run away from classes, you know," a male voice said.</p>
<p>MeowLi peeked up at the person who'd put her here. It was a grey tabby. He was dressed in the clothing of a guard from her own temple, so that was good, but it took a while for her to place him. "H-how did you do that? How did you find me and carry me out here?" she asked him. He was just a guard in the temple. What was he doing?</p>
<p>"It's one of my gifts," he said with a little shrug. "Your teacher contacted Nyanta-san and he sent me to fetch you. I think you need a bit of recovery before going back, though?" An eyeridge of whiskers went up.</p>
<p>"I'm not ever going back," she muttered, putting her nose back down between her front legs, her tail twitching in anger but her ears falling in unhappiness.</p>
<p>"Well, there are times we wish that could happen," the guard agreed. "However, life still has to be lived and we still have to walk forward. It's okay to rest for a bit, regroup, think of a better plan, and then move again. ...What in particular took you down today?"</p>
<p>It took MeowLi a while to decide she did want to complain to someone, then she did quite plainly. The guard patiently listened to it all. She felt vindicated when he commiserated. When he actually helped her come up with alternative things to try - after getting her feedback on what hadn't worked - she was surprised.</p>
<p>She wasn't surprised to be deposited back at the school again, but she felt a little better and one or two of the things seemed to work well enough that it was okay again for a while.</p>
<p>She still secluded herself even more from the rest of her classmates, though, only finding relief in hiding behind her books and studies. She would be very glad when the fourth Children's Day had come and gone and everyone could settle back down to real useful things again.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. US West Coast History</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Michael and the Intelligence detail arrived over the City of Angels in their current time line. They took the time to ask Izanami politely and properly for Stiletto to have the ability to walk through time while in that city since they'd decided that he might be artificially locked out of that realm now that the Inari had set Time to be linear.</p>
<p>If he could walk just in one location of space, that would be sufficient for their needs and he wouldn't be as likely to create new paradoxes. Stiletto shrugged after they'd waited a while to see if he was going to be granted the ability. They would have to wait still at this point.</p>
<p>Michael was going with the Intelligence detail this first round so that they all had a basic understanding of the past of the region. Michael led them back through time, staying mostly in the code realm, although at the edge where they could see if they needed to.</p>
<p>Stiletto sat on his shoulder as a moth so that Michael could take all three of them. Moving four through time was a bit difficult so he was moving in shorter hops instead of all at once, similarly to how he walked through the other realms.</p>
<p>"Stop!" Stiletto cried. The rest paused, wondering why. "We can't move through the code realm for the next bit. Move over to the spirit realm."</p>
<p>Michael gave a nod and moved them all over. Stiletto moved from Michael's shoulder, then converted from moth to himself. "Follow me," he instructed. Michael carefully followed Stiletto's tugging through the spirit realm, although Michael continued to walk them backwards through time.</p>
<p>There were rather a lot of explosions going off in the code realm during that time, so they never got closer than to see a few explosions now and again. Occasionally Stiletto would move them through space, finally putting them rather high above the City of Angels.</p>
<p>"It really wasn't a very safe place to live, was it?" he complained at them, letting off his nervousness. They'd rather expected it to be that way, though, so they just let him get it off his chest.</p>
<p>"Go ahead and take us all the way back to the beginning," Michael ordered Stiletto. "We should learn it for at least one city to see how they did."</p>
<p>When Stiletto finally had them stop, they were closer over the city, where they could actually see and hear what was going on. They stayed on the boundary, though, where they couldn't be seen by others. They weren't sure what would happen if they were seen outside of the required moments they had to be. It was standard operating procedure for the Intel team, though. They usually worked a city from inside the boundary.</p>
<p>"Right, Bowie. Let me know when you've spotted our main target," BlackJack said, settling in. "I'm keen to learn what my upgrade's done." Bowie nodded. The rest were, too. BlackJack hadn't needed to use his skill yet on this continent until now.</p>
<p>Bowie scanned the city, walking them in a rather meandering way while Michael moved them on slow fast forward through time. They didn't need to live a lot of live's worth of time just getting this part of the quest done.</p>
<p>"Hold up," Bowie said, raising his hand. Michael stopped them in time and Bowie searched the people around them, then pointed to a building. "Go look in there, Stil. You're looking for someone plotting mayhem."</p>
<p>Instead, Stiletto landed on Bowie's shoulder as sparkly moth again and the two of them disappeared. A few moments later, by chat, they called Michael and BlackJack in. Bowie gave a head nod at the man lying on his bed in an upper back room of the inn. "That's your target," he said to BlackJack.</p>
<p>"What's his motive?" Michael asked. They'd seen the newly-brought-to-Theldesia Adventurers have the same reactions all the Adventurers had - disbelief, horror, shock, and so forth.</p>
<p>Things in the city had started to settle down and people were in the phase of starting to think about what to do now. Guilds had gathered and were in conference, friends had joined up with friends, and solos were hiding in depression or were equipping for heading out to explore.</p>
<p>"He's gang back on Earth and is delighted that he -" Bowie was interrupted by the man himself lifting a hand and staring in delight at a fireball that danced around his hand. Bowie gestured to the display, "- can now cause mayhem and kill all he wants."</p>
<p>The rest swore quietly. A natural PK Sorcerer. Michael gave a nod and looked at BlackJack. BlackJack took a few seconds then nodded. "He's tagged."</p>
<p>BlackJack's specialty was that he could tag anyone specifically pointed out (or named by request and then initially found by BlackJack or Bowie), then follow them or find them whenever he wanted to. It was so that he could get the intel on specific people that his employer (usually Shiroe) wanted.</p>
<p>It was a bit like a magical compass skill after he'd put a strong magnet spell on the target. In the past he'd worked up to being able to mark two simultaneous targets, and had almost reached three when they'd left Yamato. It would be interesting to see just how it would expand now.</p>
<p>"Right. You keep us close to him. Stiletto, you keep us safe around him. As Sorcerer his magics could catch us anywhere in here. Bowie, you keep up the running narration so the rest of us know what's going on. I'll keep us in fast forward so we can learn what we need to learn before we're all old grey-beards." Everyone was pleased enough with those orders from Michael and they got down to business.</p>
<p>It didn't take long before the target they nicknamed Shead (short for a very uncomplimentary name) was headed out the door, looking for a target. Apparently there was someone in the city he had a grudge against from before it was real. They were amused when he cast his first fireball and was immediately picked up by the defensive armor of the city and carted off. The expression on his face was rather priceless until it turned to anger.</p>
<p>They stayed close to him, although he didn't seem to <em>do</em> too much for a while, except find a buddy. Together they worked on understanding their new skills and how to use them. It seemed odd to the four watching that he'd picked a Summoner. They waited to name him, though. "Ah!" Bowie raised his hand and Michael slowed it down to real-time forward motion.</p>
<p>Bowie swore softly. Michael held on to him more tightly and pulled him around to look him in the eye. "We shouldn't change what happened," Michael warned. "This is TV to us. We'll cause a lot of mayhem in our present if we try to stop what he did."</p>
<p>Bowie took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Okay, but I get to kill him a lot when we get back."</p>
<p>"Take it out on the fourth level of the Maze," Michael said coolly.</p>
<p>Bowie's face went hard, but he gave a nod. They turned back and watched as Michael let time move again. Stiletto had them fall back a bit farther, but they could still see and hear well enough.</p>
<p>Shead and his partner were up early in the morning and were walking down a street. A Cunie was headed their way from the other direction. The rest of the street was empty for the most part. Right when the two of them were passing the Cunie, they grabbed him, one on either arm, and dragged him into an alley.</p>
<p>The four Eagles followed them to a back warehouse where the Sorcerer cast a binding spell on the Cunie. The two proceeded to beat the Cunie until his HP was in the teens. Then the Summoner drew a Summon contract circle around the Cunie.</p>
<p>"No way," breathed BlackJack.</p>
<p>"Way," Bowie answered grimly.</p>
<p>It was hard for the four of them to stand by while the Summoner proceeded to cast the contract binding spell on the Cunie. He was so low on HP (the Cunie were typically quite high, although very low in stamina and strength), that he didn't have anything to fight back with but what little remaining will he had left.</p>
<p>"Why's it working?" Stiletto asked. "Isn't he a Person of the Land, not a Creature?"</p>
<p>Michael shook his head. "They have special properties. The Cunie share a mind, if you will - hive mind style. They're tied into the database. People of the Land aren't in the same way. They're line items rather than portals to whole spreadsheets like the Cunie. It's part of why the Cunie all look the same, too.</p>
<p>"They're breaking into the bank as it were. It's a difficult thing to do, but by the rules of Adventurers and the way the Summoner's magic rules work, it ...looks ...like ...," he fell silent. The Cunie had fallen to the ground in a slump, owned now by a prick of a gang. Their faces went cold and hard.</p>
<p>It was even harder to stay out of it when the questioning by the two men wasn't asking how to get more gold out of the system, or even other related things. Instead, Shead was asking the Cunie how to take down the city armor and protection system so that he could have free rein to PK inside the city. The Cunie could only answer the proper answers because he was now owned by them.</p>
<p>They forced him to lead them down into the depths of the city to show the two where the controls were, and then he was forced to shut them off. When it was too much for the four watching men, and one of them moved, he was blocked from interfering.</p>
<p>"We can't," Stiletto said sadly. "Even I'm locked down right now except for this much." The rest ground their teeth.</p>
<p>The two gang members took the Cunie back up to their hideout and tied him up so that at the end of his length of required summon time he couldn't get away. When they walked out again, Michael held the others there in that room.</p>
<p>They all needed to cool down just a bit before they followed the other two out, or they'd kill them anyway. There was a sudden realization by three at once and together they moved, stepping out into the base realm of the hideout.</p>
<p>Bowie knelt down next to the Cunie and cast his Druid healing spells on him while Michael cut the ropes that bound him. BlackJack tried to set a few special "welcome home" surprises, but was prevented, to his disgust. Stiletto kept watch since he could do that best, doing it from Michael's shoulder still.</p>
<p>"We can heal him and let him escape, but he's still their Summon," BlackJack said in irritation and frustration.</p>
<p>"We're sorry we aren't allowed to interfere," Bowie said quietly to the Cunie.</p>
<p>Michael considered it. "Well, at least <em>weren't</em>. We might be able to at this point. Letting them keep hold of a Cunie is likely a very dangerous thing. If we're allowed to move, then maybe it isn't necessary for them to keep him as far as the time-line goes, or we're here to correct something that could be even worse."</p>
<p>He rubbed his chin, then opened a prayer to Izanami. "Inari-no-Izanami, what happened here has set a very bad precedent, and harmed one of the precious Cunie of the Land. What can we do to correct this and allow for the Cunie to go free of the Summon contract?"</p>
<p>They looked at Bowie, waiting to see if he would get the answer. He was certainly thinking hard about it. His eyes opened wide and he shook his head. "We can't affect the Summon contract, but the Cunie at full strength is strong enough to break it himself. The two weren't going to come back. They were just going to let him die of blood loss and starvation. They've accomplished what they wanted with him."</p>
<p>"So they already understood it," BlackJack said bitterly.</p>
<p>Bowie nodded. BlackJack pulled out a healing potion and handed it over. Bowie helped the Cunie drink it, then cast another healing spell now that his own cool down was over. They stayed with the Cunie until he was able to get to his feet again. They couldn't follow him openly, but they did watch over him until he'd returned to his home to make sure he got there. He would handle the rest from there.</p>
<p>When they were content with that, Michael walked them back through time again, but this time they arrived outside the hideout just in time to follow the two men they were coming to hate to their next destination. That was to a location outside an inn where they settled down for a stake out.</p>
<p>BlackJack considered for a bit, then said, "I've got a line on each of them, but perhaps we should plan on seeing things from both sides from here on."</p>
<p>He got agreement on that and started setting up a video screen that would travel with them. It would show up as a side view in the status screen - as if they were wearing visors and it was a vid feed to it. For now, it was empty. He would attach the line to whomever the target of their targets was.</p>
<p>It was another interesting interplay. This time when Shead the Sorcerer cast his PK spells on the man he wanted dead he wasn't removed from the scene, and the man went to his death in surprise and with a wail of despair. "First death in the city," muttered Bowie.</p>
<p>"Oh, that will be interesting, then." The two men were strutting and working on who their next target would be. As they headed that way, the four tailing them in the code realm, the video screen came to life, showing the Cathedral and a very surprised not-dead-anymore target.</p>
<p>He was looking at his body, then at his status very carefully. He looked around the Cathedral, then got up off the altar and a very angry look came over his face. He happened to be a Monk, and now he flexed his arm, looking at his armor and a calculating look came over his face. He swore and then ran out of the Cathedral.</p>
<p>He headed for the place he'd come from but couldn't find the Sorcerer who'd killed him. That one was now in another alley attacking another person that was pinned against a wall by a summoned DireWolf. BlackJack added another line and the video screen split.</p>
<p>"Walking's getting too hard," Michael complained at that point. "Let's go sit up in the stratosphere and watch the city fall apart for a bit."</p>
<p>"Ah...I was about to suggest the same thing," Stiletto agreed. "It's going to get really uncomfortable here in a bit, particularly if we keep going at slow fast forward."</p>
<p>BlackJack nodded and they moved up to an upper room of one of the old skyscrapers that Stiletto said would be safe. They set up the usual surveillance room, keeping Shead and Prick front and center with the first man and woman killed next to them.</p>
<p>Bowie added in views of various parts of the city where action tended to happen - like the market district and such like. No one in the City of Angles had bothered to learn how to make real food yet, so the eating district wasn't very busy unless people were finally hungry enough to force the soggy cracker food down.</p>
<p>Michael pointed at one solo Adventurer. "He's headed out to explore. Let's put a record line on him, too, to watch later. I want to know just how hard that part was for them. They really should have been playing in the zones a lot more than it sounds like they were."</p>
<p>They watched, stone-faced, as the two ne'er-do-wells picked off person after person on their hit list, then watched as those same persons were resurrected back at the Cathedral. Word got out after a bit that it wasn't death to die, but that word didn't make it back to the two causing the problems until the ones hunting them (and their friends) finally showed up to corner them.</p>
<p>With an angry crowd facing them down, they really didn't stand a chance in the end. It didn't end with them headed to the Cathedral, though. When they showed back up there, friends waiting for them killed them right away again.</p>
<p>After about the fifth consecutive death and resurrection, they managed to get words out, pleading that they be allowed banishment instead of death again. They were summarily escorted out of the city and watched until they'd left. Guards stood watch on the gate, arms folded, waiting to see if they would come back again.</p>
<p>"Well, that played out how I'd expect it to," Michael said, sitting back. He tapped a finger on his arm. "We'll follow them after we've seen how things play out here in the city. One thing at a time, I think." The others nodded. They had all the equipment set up now anyway.</p>
<p>Michael sped up time for them again. It wasn't too different from what had happened in Adventurer cities all over, really, although that had been a hiccup to overcome. The PK Riots had been begun by that activity as others who also wanted to kill for the sake of killing did. It didn't matter anyway, right? seemed to be the prevalent feeling.</p>
<p>The problem was that the People of the Land of the city started getting caught in the cross-fire as the Adventurers fought in the streets. Some of the more upright citizens of the city stood in their defense, and in the defense of the weaker and more frightened Adventurers, and got called Heroes by the same.</p>
<p>The weaker Adventurers went to those who'd protected them and asked them to head guilds to continue to protect them. That worked for a while, since those Adventurers were both concerned about others, and flattered. But eventually, it became too much for them to take care of people who couldn't or wouldn't take care of themselves plus deal with being somewhere not home and trying to not fall apart themselves.</p>
<p>The larger guilds stepped in then, wooing the Heroes. The Intel detail linked to several of the Heroes and watched what happened inside the guilds. Some of them wouldn't let in those following the Heroes, but brushed them off, then slowly used and then abused the Heroes since they were a little too willing to be helpful. Others just gave them all a place to call home.</p>
<p>It was all leading up to something bigger, though. The chaos in the city was just reaching a boiling point when the first Special hit it. The city wasn't prepared, and wasn't defended any more.</p>
<p>Nearly half of the remaining People of the Land were decimated and the Adventurers were taken down in massive swaths at a time until the larger guilds got put together enough to work in concert within themselves, if not between the guilds. When the Special was finally overcome, the city sat quietly reeling for a few days.</p>
<p>Then the heads of the four largest guilds got together in conference. They agreed that there should be better leadership in the city and that the Adventurers should work together. That was okay until they had to get into the gritty details of necessity after enough time passed. Then it came out that one guild was very conservative and another very progressive. At the council table they butt heads constantly over proper rules, regulations, and punishments.</p>
<p>The Eagles watched a bit sadly as one guild took it outside the council chamber and began putting out false information, terrible rumor, and outright lies to lead the people of the city to doubt their opponent's intentions and good will for everyone. With a sigh, the Eagles watched the political conflict tear apart the city again as the unrest grew until the conservative guild - not perfect but still desiring to help everyone as best they could - left the city in disgust.</p>
<p>The other two guilds were more quiet in comparison. The one who'd won the political mud-slinging battle began to sit as the ruling body, assimilating the third guild who believed similarly enough, and then putting the burden of governance on the fourth while sitting on their laurels and taking the credit for the efforts of the fourth. That created friction and bad feelings until it came to a head at the next Special to hit the city.</p>
<p>The fourth guild refused to participate, even going so far as to walk out of the city and tell the top guild to handle it since they were so good at it, by their own admission. They managed to get rid of the enemies brought by the Special, but afterwards the city collapsed and they lost half of the remaining People of the Land again, mostly because they were the ones who now had to carry the Adventurers on their shoulders and they also refused.</p>
<p>The decay and death of the city was inexorable, and then the July Fourth Special arrived in the form of the Devourer. The Eagles watched from high above in the air as the Devourer was attacked, grew, and ate the People of the Land, the summoned creatures, and then the Adventurers. "Why aren't the Adventurers resurrecting?" Stiletto frowned at the city below them. "It should kill them, but not prevent them from that, shouldn't it?"</p>
<p>The others shook their heads. The buildings weren't flattened until later, when the guilds who'd left the City of Angels tried to overwhelm the Devourer with numbers and firepower, trying to hit it with large nuclear-style attacks, not caring about the city itself. They only fed it faster until it was stripping away the countryside and flowing out to overwhelm them with its flood. They lost very quickly then, and also didn't resurrect. That one feature prevented Adventurers who had intel on the Devourer from warning other Adventurers who didn't know yet what they were facing.</p>
<p>With a sad sigh, Michael stepped them back through time and space until they were over the city again, but it was at the time the first two men had been banished from the city. "Where are they, Bowie?" he asked, quietly grim.</p>
<p>Bowie pointed and they headed through space until they were over the two men in their hideout outside the City of Angels. They watched in sped-up time as the two gathered to them the other PKers who were banished during that early time. The PK guild worked hard to increase their skills and then levels out in the zones, then turned north. "Headed for Frisco," Bowie said. "Going to try again."</p>
<p>Michael nodded. He kept them there, though. They watched as the conservative guild left the City of Angels, angry, and headed into the zones south and east. "They'll use Diego as home base for now, but not live there," Bowie said.</p>
<p>Stiletto looked that way, then shuddered. "Things aren't going well there at the moment, either," he agreed.</p>
<p>Michael considered it, then said, "I'll let you three get the details there. Let's see what these two from the beginning do and then I'll go do my other day job. I get the feeling they're going to screw up a lot more than what they've already done."</p>
<p>Michael stepped them through time and space until they were over Frisco and its sister city Jose. Bowie studied the cities while BlackJack looked for his markers on their targets.</p>
<p>"They're both still in the early chaos, but Jose has a university in it, like it did before, and there are already Adventurers headed for Hacker and Programmer there working hard on a way home," Bowie reported. That was a relief to them. They might have something to work with, then, although that would be after this recon visit.</p>
<p>Bowie looked at Frisco. "That's going to be harder to work with. No one cares one way or the other whether they go home or not. They get to live the idle life here and seem to be content with it."</p>
<p>"For now," BlackJack said darkly, pointing to the south a bit. "They're arriving now."</p>
<p>The PK group arrived in the city, just another guild from another city. They quickly learned who was in charge and what sort of life this city was living. A few went hunting in the darker places and quietly recruited like-minded Adventurers.</p>
<p>After enough time had passed the city didn't pay them much mind, in the dead of night, the two heads let themselves into a Cunie's house, put him to sleep, and carried him down to the place of control of the city defenses. There, they used him to take the city defenses down. Then they killed the Cunie. By morning, the PK guild had control of the city.</p>
<p>They didn't know how to rule a city that large, though, and hadn't taken into account Jose. Nor had they accounted for the Specials, not having lived one yet. The war that finally ended the Special and threw the PK guild out of the city took out a third of the People of the Land of that city.</p>
<p>Since the Adventurers weren't willing in the main to admit the People of the Land might be necessary, needed, and mortal, they were used up like rags until they moved down to Jose or moved out into the zones to their own cities and refused to do business with the Adventurers of Frisco.</p>
<p>The Adventurers of Frisco were the ones that in the main went searching by dragon over the mountain range. Some built boats, but they never went past the line of sea monsters. They didn't want to fight anything, and that meant they weren't earning gold to pay for food. They'd nearly starved themselves by the second Special.</p>
<p>When they only came through that because the researchers in Jose had helped them out again, Jose suddenly became the hotbed of the next conflict. The Adventurers of Frisco wanted in and the Adventurers of Jose wanted them kept out. And then the July Fourth Special hit.</p>
<p>The Eagles watched in horror as the main boss of that Special was an Overwritten that had been programmed specifically for the area - the Fates. The Crone cast a "Cut" spell when a swath of Adventurers had been mown down by one of the Maid's spells. Watching from the edge of the realms as they were, they could see the spirits of the Adventurers suddenly stationary upon the field.</p>
<p>Michael quickly ran through the timing then swore. "The Navigators were watching what Indicus was doing and learned the spell. It was just learned a bit before this. They must have figured out how to program an Overwritten to cast it."</p>
<p>"Did they program it into the Devourer as well, then?" BlackJack looked with wide eyes at Michael. Stiletto flattened himself tighter to Michael's shoulder and shuddered.</p>
<p>Bowie closed his eyes to the destruction going on below them as great lines of Adventurers were mown down, then prevented from resurrecting. "We'll make sure a recording of this battle goes with us. We'll have to fight them inside the Maze, won't we?"</p>
<p>Even Michael swallowed. "Yeah, I think that's going to take careful working out," he agreed.</p>
<p>With heavy hearts, they watched as even the Adventures of Jose couldn't stand against the Fates and fell until there were no remaining Adventurers in either city. "At least the city isn't flattened." Michael said. He sped time back up, just to make sure.</p>
<p>"I think you spoke too soon, Sir," BlackJack whispered as there was sudden darkness on the horizon coming from the south. Because time was sped up for them, it looked like a sudden tsunami as the Devourer, in wide spread liquid form rushed the two cities and enveloped them. It sat there for a time, then pulled back and rose to stand a tall tower rising into the sky, larger than before. "Were there groups in hiding in the two cities?"</p>
<p>As Bowie's eyes went large and he looked down into Jose, he held up a hand and his mouth opened as if to warn the city but it was too late. The Devourer stepped onto the city more than into it given the size it was now, and a massive explosion went off that took out the entire city.</p>
<p>Again, because it hadn't been understood, instead of it destroying the Devourer, it fed it and it's size increased by a fifth again. "If any Adventurers survived the blast...," BlackJack said in soft horror.</p>
<p>Bowie shook his head in disbelief. "They thought they'd resurrect again. They didn't know about the ability it has to prevent it." Where Jose had been was now a gaping crater in the ground. They could tell because the Devourer was moving again, and had left it behind.</p>
<p>"God, that's a frightening monster," Stiletto moaned. "Even more than ghosts."</p>
<p>The others could only nod in agreement, for all that they'd already fought it and defeated it themselves. They were glad they hadn't had this lead-in to that series of fights or they would have given up early.</p>
<p>"The combination of things is just downright bad all the way around," Michael said. He turned them northward again, and stepped them back through time and space one more time. They were over Port Land and Salem this time. "This is a long way for them to have to come, but it's the only other place unless they went all the way up to Olympia."</p>
<p>"No, they're here," BlackJack said grimly.</p>
<p>"And they're here to stay. There weren't very many people online up here at that time of day," Bowie said. "It was breakfast and get to work time so most people weren't playing, and there weren't as many gamers in comparison to the California gamers anyway since the population generally is lower. The last three cities were high population zones so had a higher percentage online.</p>
<p>"They're a bit more willing to go out and farm here, but look," he pointed to the numbers of people entering the city. The PKer guild had nearly doubled in size, having gained even more members in Frisco before being ousted.</p>
<p>Michael slumped. "I don't think I can stomach watching this much longer. I'm going to just speed it up and we'll watch the highlights."</p>
<p>BlackJack nodded and only connected to the market district this time. They followed the head of the PKer guild and watched what the Adventurers of the city did. For a while they fought, then finally the PKer guild was too much for most of them. Those Adventurers of Port Land who were the shadow people stayed, those who cared left and went north, likely up to Olympia.</p>
<p>When the second Special hit the city, the PKer guild was better prepared and they managed to survive okay. They even had People of the Land left living. While they weren't kind to them, they also knew they wanted them to be around, so they weren't too overly harsh (by scale given who they were).</p>
<p>Still, when the Fourth of July Special came, with the anti-resurrection spells included, they couldn't stand and survive in the end. Michael time-jumped them from there, once they had the battle footage to review, to watch the Devourer arrive there as well. It only paused briefly, then moved on.</p>
<p>"Really, I won't be able to deal if it tries to go on up into Canada, or cut across the mountains and head inland," Michael said, his face twisting with the ill feeling in his stomach.</p>
<p>"Me neither," Bowie said solemnly. BlackJack and Stiletto weren't to be left out at all. Michael gave a nod. They'd watch what happened at Olympia, then interfere if there was nothing else to do, just to make sure the Devourer stayed on this side of the mountain range.</p>
<p>Michael stepped them up to Olympia, but to just before the Fourth of July Special. They watched as yet another boss cut down Adventurers, and still the Devourer could be seen on the horizon afterwards. Michael stepped them out into the base realm and the four Eagles waited on the field of battle, one zone south of Olympia.</p>
<p>"Set the traps we're the bait for," he ordered calmly, then dove into the code realm. He did a thing he'd never done before, but watched Purrcy do many times. He went hunting for the code of the monster the Navigators had written. He knew they'd done it and where to look, and he was a Programmer of high level. He wasn't going to let this monster pass without being restrained any longer.</p>
<p>As fast as he could work in the micro level, Michael studied the code of the Devourer until he found the instructions on what it was to look for and kill and the area it was to affect. In the end, it was going to be too much from him, and he had to scale back a bit.</p>
<p>Instead of looking for Adventurers to eat, he set it to look for Vengeful Spirits so that their time line wasn't messed with. The larger part of the code spell was going to be writing the boundary condition of what place it was supposed to look or wasn't supposed to look.</p>
<p>He finally settled on limiting it to the West U.S. Maze of Eternity. That would at least hold it still in one place, and hopefully get it to pull back from Olympia, Canada, and the rest of the United States.</p>
<p>The "Collect Vengeful Spirit" setting was still higher, so he put in a subroutine that would test to see how far east it had gotten from the Athirds Ocean and put a distance limiter on it so that it wouldn't get into lands it shouldn't. That limiter would take precedence over the "Collect Vengeful Spirit" requirement. It was also a rather cost-intensive modification.</p>
<p>The purification traps were beginning to be set off when Michael had the spell written. "We may have to sleep here for a bit," he warned his men. They gave terse nods and stood to defend him, purification weapons at the ready. He waited for the build-up of the spell to get high enough, watching as the mass of the Devourer tried to reach for him and was repelled by the determined Intelligence detail.</p>
<p>His countdown ended and he cast the spell, wrappered in protective spells in case the code on the Devourer had been trapped, with a drill on the front edge in case it had been protected too well. He watched the spell in the code realm as it sped along to its intended destination. The drill slid through the barriers like butter and the base code of the Devourer was rewritten, relieving him to no end.</p>
<p>Michael returned his attention to the base realm to find that Bowie had put up a plant bower over them, reinforced with Purification from Stiletto. They watched as the Devourer paused, then resolidified into one mass and began moving southward again, slowly because of its mass, but gone from them in a short amount of time because of its size. They sank to the ground under the overgrowth that Bowie was reinforcing with one more plant growth spell.</p>
<p>"I'll take first watch," BlackJack said. "I'm still too mad to fall asleep."</p>
<p>Michael nodded tiredly, curled up on the ground, and was asleep soon after. He'd used up a lot with all that time and space walking, dragging all three with him, and then that spell. He could only hope they hadn't messed things up horribly, but he'd done the best he could to hold to the instructions he knew the Devourer had followed since they'd arrived.</p>
<p>He also in the deeper parts of his soul hoped they hadn't caused the problem to be worse than it needed to be by acting later than they could have.</p>
<p>That was the problem with time travel the way he knew it. Unless he could see himself acting, like he did that time when he'd taken Brian to be the bait, and which only happened occasionally outside the unbounded Gate of Time, he could never know. Stiletto's brand of time walking was probably the better one, the way he'd described it, but that wasn't his specialty and Stiletto was still locked down.</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>"Really, Izanami, I'm not going to be able to do all this by myself," Michael was arguing aloud, pleading in prayer if one considered his station in relation to the one he was talking to, but it didn't come out that way very well most of the time.</p>
<p>"You've got to at least give Stil the ability to time walk back with the other two so I can can go inside the mountain range and check on the other cities. It's going to take up more than I've got otherwise. Please." The last was tacked on as he recalled what his station was.</p>
<p>"What he said, please," Stiletto said, startling Michael. "I promise, I'll just go back and forth within a single city, and not in complex ways. Just simple getting us to the past where we need to be and watching in fast forward like we've already done. And when we're ready to implement the plans, I'll only go where and when we need to get things done right." He tried for more humility on his part. He was even lower on that totem pole, after all.</p>
<p>Bowie and BlackJack played the game this time as well and bowed to the ground. "Please, Izanami."</p>
<p>There was the sense of a deep sigh and then Stiletto could suddenly see time again. He wasn't allowed to move at the moment, but that was enough. He gave a satisfied nod to Michael and bowed to the ground. "Thank you, Izanami. I promise to not create havoc. I know how dangerous that realm is." The others politely thanked the Game Bot as well and the pressure let up in the emergency Druid hut.</p>
<p>"Thanks," Michael said. "Get enough sleep?"</p>
<p>"Yes, thank you," Stiletto answered politely. It had been interrupted by the pressure increase, but not overly much so. They'd done overlap rotations by half hours until they'd all gotten a full hour of sleep in.</p>
<p>They'd let Michael sleep the longest, though, since he'd been doing the most work, and was an old man so needed his beauty sleep. They'd only tease him with that later once they were in recall mode with everyone else, though. Now was not the time for that.</p>
<p>Stiletto pulled out what was one of his thinning meals and began to down it. "Sir," he said between mouthfuls, "we're going to need to get into the stores of the <em>Ocean Wanderer</em> soon. I'm about out."</p>
<p>Michael raised an eyebrow at him, then glanced to Bowie and BlackJack. They took quick inventory, then nodded agreement. Michael sighed. "I'll tell them to resupply, although it will probably have to happen after we get back with our reports. I might have to ask for the next concession to be that we can all leave the Maze and have it stay in the state it's in right now. We've got a lot of things to be doing, getting oceanside to check on that included."</p>
<p>He put food down his gullet for a while, then wrinkled his nose. "Of course, Izanami being what she is and doing what she's been doing to Purrcy for the last half year almost, likely doesn't care that we need to rest and recharge, too. I refuse to go to splitting myself into parts, though. That won't work for me." He scowled just to make his point.</p>
<p>Stiletto agreed. They were already doing too much as it was, when it came down to it. None of them needed to add in any more crazy stuff like that. He nodded at the same time his compatriots did, all underscoring Michael's point.</p>
<p>It was getting nearly pointless to try to "train" the Game Bot, though, particularly now that they understood better just what it was and how futile to reach its level. That got him down a bit, which wasn't what he wanted either. "Wish I could play some of my tunes right about now," he complained instead.</p>
<p>"Then play them," Bowie raised an eyebrow at him. "I've had my playlist up since I learned we could access the internet database."</p>
<p>Stiletto paused his eating long enough to stare open mouthed at Bowie. "No shit." He mentally kicked himself for not thinking of it before and headed in to do just that with a fifth of his brain while he finished eating. He decided he was going to live life to background music from now on. Good fights needed an undercurrent of epic music under them to get the blood flowing just right, and he'd been missing it anyway - real modern music of his own flavor.</p>
<p>After the meal they quickly took turns taking care of business and standing guard duty, then met for orders to be passed out. "Okay. I'll go north and check out Olympia," Michael said, "then I'll head inland and come down the other side of the region.</p>
<p>"I'm going to pop over and pick up backup, though. That's a lot of Adventurer cities if they're all up and running. I'd much rather only visit each city once. I'll be months at it if I'm lucky enough to find them all home." They nodded, understanding.</p>
<p>"Stil, you get the three of you back down to Diego and data gather, then on down across the border. See if you can figure out why Mexico won't let the Adventurers cross the border. I'm going to check and see if that's on the north border, too.</p>
<p>"If it's just because U.S. Adventurers bring Overwritten trouble, I think we can clear that up and get into them in our present and future. If it's trust issues we'll need to know how to plan that in."</p>
<p>Michael paused a bit, then added, "I've been thinking pretty hard about the full schedule. I'm hoping Leonardo is already here on this side somewhere and getting started. Even so, with the three U.S. servers, the three Canadian servers, the Central American server, and the three on the South content, we've got a lot of work to do. Add in all that territory for both Overwritten and demihuman purification and that's a lot more ground than we can cover in short order."</p>
<p>Michael shook his head. "Given what we've seen so far - and the extremely limited amount of foodstuffs available here on this coast - we're going to have to keep it all as short as possible. We're going to have to pull in as many of the Adventurers as we can to help us on those last two projects, and maybe even train a special group to handle the southern servers while we head inland."</p>
<p>He frowned. "Well, we'll discuss it in the full council, but I'm thinking either that group that left the City of Angels, or if you can spot a good group from out of Diego, plus whomever we can round up from the south part of the Western region. I think we may want the central and northern part of the region's volunteers to go east with us." He feel silent, brooding on the issues again.</p>
<p>"Well, I agree that shorter is better," Bowie said, more to keep the Commander from getting depressed again, Stiletto suspected. "You going to take Nav with you?"</p>
<p>Michael came out of his brood and shook his head. "I need him right where he is to anchor the return. I'm taking P/R. He's got the right words and knows the spiel. I'll be the silent strong type to back him up as necessary."</p>
<p>"What about the Lieutenant Commander, or Brenner?" BlackJack tentatively offered after a bit. "Two to watch your back is better than one."</p>
<p>"Harder to carry around, too," Michael's look went sour. They knew if Reed pushed the issue Michael would take one of the two other watchdogs with him. That would have to be enough. They weren't high enough level to force it, even if there were three of them who were in agreement at the moment.</p>
<p>They gave nods acknowledging the orders and Bowie took down the plant hut. They saluted Michael, and he gave them a nod, turned, and disappeared as he stepped through both time and space. Stiletto could only see that initial movement and then Michael was too far away to follow.</p>
<p>Stiletto put his hands on each shoulder standing next to him on either side. "Right. Off we go." He held on tightly as he stepped through space only first. He wanted to let Izanami know he was really going to hold to his promise.</p>
<p>They reached a position over the silent city of Diego. It wasn't slag at the moment, which was interesting, but they needed to get to this point still. He stepped them back through time to that city's beginning, and they set up shop and got to work.</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>Sergeant Major LeftField (game name, real title), most experienced military person present in Diego, lifted his head as intelligence reports suddenly were running past his ears.</p>
<p>He listened for a bit, then ordered, "Bring them in. If they're being that obvious, they're looking for a meeting." He scanned his desk, made sure nothing of importance was where anyone could see it, and relaxed back in his chair to wait for his guests to arrive.</p>
<p>While every city on the west coast of the U.S. had bases for pretty much all the branches of the military, he'd been the oldest and most experienced online in Diego when the catastrophe had hit. Everyone across the board had agreed to work together, rather than try to stay separated by military branch.</p>
<p>There were actually a lot of young military in Diego, population percentage-wise. Almost all of them were young unmarrieds who hadn't cared that the new release was at breakfast time. They could eat cold pizza while sitting in front of their PCs just fine.</p>
<p>He personally had been trying to not think about the fact he was single (still), and had just been dumped by his latest girlfriend. He'd been too busy to care about that since being stolen away to Theldesia (still a very hard thing for any American to believe was a reality). Busy suited him just fine.</p>
<p>His training as a Marine Sergeant Major helped him quite a lot in leading everyone to fulfill useful tasks - at least in the Military Guild they'd put together. He was pretty sure there were junior officers mixed in with the guild, but they'd cast their vote to hold their tongues and let him run things. He supposed he should be grateful they were willing to let experience trump Earth's commissions.</p>
<p>It wasn't the most popular guild in the city, but they'd made everyone else shape up and step in line since they were the first and still almost only guild that was right in their element. The few other fighting guilds were just as happy to fall in line, as long as their voices could be heard.</p>
<p>That wasn't hard, either, since LeftField was just as happy to let the guildmasters have their say. The hard part was the guilds and solos who wouldn't play nice and kept trying to undermine everything he was trying to do.</p>
<p>The intelligence on these three newcomers with an unknown guild name and wearing historic U.S. military uniforms only said that they were super high level, and that they were openly asking around for any known military Adventurers in town.</p>
<p>That was only enough to get suspicious and make his stomach clench in worry that yet another bully guild had shown up. LeftField was getting a bit tired of that though, so he really did want to wish that they were here for nicer ulterior motives. He breathed belly-deep breaths to calm his stomach down. It wasn't possible to get ulcers here, but sometimes he thought he might have them anyway.</p>
<p>A perfunctory knock came at his door to his office in the Guild Hall and the door was opened to let the three men in. He read their status screens quickly, knowing they were doing the same as they entered and stopped in front of his desk.</p>
<p>He was a bit unhappy with the sum of their Classes. The stockiest was a Druid, which wasn't too bad, LeftField supposed, but his avatar was the most hard-bitten, so as to even be scarred on the jaw. The two didn't go together, so things were already off with that much.</p>
<p>The tallest, who looked like a mafia boss, was a Sorcerer. He looked like he wasn't afraid to PK at the drop of a hat. The smallest was an oddity, and the hardest Class to take at the moment, being an Assassin.</p>
<p>He was an oddity because he was dark skinned, but he sparkled. LeftField wasn't used to Adventurers sparkling. Most disappointing was the fact that all three of them were named for famous weapons of assassination. It didn't look good from the start.</p>
<p>He should try anyway, he supposed. He folded his hands on his desk in front of him. "I hear you've been asking for real military personnel?" He stayed calm and cool.</p>
<p>"Yes," BlackJack answered. "We'd seen the guild name and wondered if it was really truth or just the fiction of this place."</p>
<p>"It's truth. We banded together after being dragged here." There wasn't a reason to lie.</p>
<p>"Everyone?" Stiletto asked.</p>
<p>"Yes. Everyone in Diego. I was just highest on the totem so got the post of guildmaster. What can I do for you?" LeftField went with the assumption that "everyone" meant all military in town.</p>
<p>"We've got several jobs to pass along to all the Adventurers, but we were hoping you would be point person on one specific one," BlackJack said.</p>
<p>LeftField raised an eyebrow at that. "Why should I consider it?"</p>
<p>"Because all of them are part of us getting home," Stiletto said soberly.</p>
<p>Bowie shifted, moving to stand at rest attention, hands clasped behind his back. LeftField couldn't help but react positively, although he stayed sober and sharp. "Sergeant Major, we're not in your guild, nor your branch of military, but we're all working for the same goal. Will you listen to what we have to tell you? Then you'll be able to make a better decision."</p>
<p>Given that complete strangers knew things like that, LeftField decided he'd better listen. Then he'd know if they needed to toss them out fast or faster.</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>Wesson Browning frowned at the three men standing in front of him. They'd accosted him as he was walking back from the privy to the manor house. He and his guild had taken over the "dude ranch" and made it home. It was too bad it had just a bit too much flavor text to it and didn't have in-house bathrooms. Other than that it hadn't been too bad.</p>
<p>Allowing for such interruptions to happen was highly inconvenient, however. At least they hadn't spread out to surround him. That would have been a dead giveaway they were really bad news.</p>
<p>He had a sudden moment of a line of a Riders in the Sky song come to him:</p>
<p><em>I saw three painted horses, three dark skinned men,<br/>
With masks made of clay and voices like wind<br/>
Singing: we seek the soul of all that is good.<br/>
We come bearing corn, water, and wood.<br/>
Stop and behold all that is good.<br/>
Give thanks for the corn, water, and wood.</em>*</p>
<p>Wesson drew in a breath, blinked, and returned to the present. He'd picked Elf, for all that he was really just a cowboy and that was perhaps an odd race for such a thing, but he'd thought that even in the U.S. of A. they were both tied to the land.</p>
<p>He might prefer his rifle to a bow and arrow, but this wasn't a game where that was an option, so it was just as good. Besides, he knew how to kill an antelope both ways.</p>
<p>It had been an odd side effect to have started to get odd little visions, being an Elf in this place as well as the guildmaster of his guild. If that was just one of those little clues, he might not be in as much trouble as his first instincts said he might be. He looked at the three again one more time, waiting for them to speak up. "Well?"</p>
<p>Wesson got small smiles from them for that. "We'd like to negotiate on behalf of another party for your guild to pick up a quest," the tallest one said. Wesson's eyes flicked to see his status screen. He liked the name. Bowie was a well made knife.</p>
<p>"I'm listening," he said. The more they talked, the more he liked what he was hearing. Here was something worth doing - finally.</p>
<p>When they were done talking, he invited them to come into the house. He'd thought they were following him in, but when he turned to let them through the door, there was no one in the yard. He blinked and stared, wondering if it had been real. He was hit with a continuation of the song he'd heard when he first met them:</p>
<p>
  <em>I'm an old trail hound and I've always believed<br/>
Your boots and your saddle are all that you leave.<br/>
No miracles happen, no angels appear,<br/>
But I swear three men were standing there...<br/>
Singing: we seek the soul of all that is good.<br/>
We come bearing corn, water, and wood.<br/>
Stop and behold all that is good.<br/>
Give thanks for the corn, water, and wood.</em>
</p>
<p>Wesson bowed his head and prayed a quick thanks to his God, then turned and strode into the manor with purpose. "Hey everyone, gather up. We've been given a quest for hope."</p><hr/>
<p>*<em>Corn, Water, and Wood</em>, Riders in the Sky, 1999. See Techno<em>Magus</em> Playlist: patreon.com/posts/38313670</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Idaho</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Michael stepped out of the realms onto an overlook of the Snake River just outside Twin Falls, Idaho. He let go of P/R and Brenner and sat down on the grass to rest. He was rather tired already.</p>
<p>They'd found Olympia dead and Vancouver too quiet. The two cities had been too close together and the Overwritten had moved north across the region boundary. Boise, Idaho, was the next largest Adventurer city over the mountain range and was also empty. There were a few smaller ones in west Washington area, but they'd all been mostly empty as well.</p>
<p>They were all hoping that the July Fourth Special wasn't country-wide. Somehow they'd thought it might be restricted to the west coast, but so far it wasn't looking good. They were now holding on to the prayer that it was at most region-wide. To have had the entire nation decimated by Overwritten who knew how to really kill Adventurers seemed somehow insane.</p>
<p>Twin Falls was a secondary city in size in comparison to Boise, but they needed to stop at them all. He'd put them down outside the city in a pretty spot where the Snake River glistened and gleamed down in it's high-sided gulch. Since they'd been constantly hopping, Michael needed to stop and really rest for a bit regardless.</p>
<p>He also didn't need to see yet another empty city right at the moment. He was still trying to heal, after all. All this emptiness that spoke death wasn't helping since it was a mirror for what he was trying to not feel inside. He took in a deep breath, leaned back on his hands, and looked up at the blue sky his heart wishing for the peace that was up there.</p>
<p>"Howdy," a voice said from behind them. P/R and Brenner spun around and Michael's head whipped around as well.</p>
<p>They stared at the Adventurer who was standing with one hand on her hip, her twin blond braids hanging down over her shoulders. Her cowboy hat sat back on her head and her jeans and boots went nicely with her figure and her red plaid shirt. They just stared at her for a while until she finally tipped her head at them impatiently.</p>
<p>"Ah...sorry," Brenner finally got out. "For all we've been hoping to run into someone, we're rather surprised to."</p>
<p>A slow smile crept on her face, although it didn't get too large. "Yeah, that about sums it up, don't it? We're one of the last hold-outs. Most of Boise that survived came down here, so we're pretty full up, but if Adventurers is what you've been lookin' for, you've found some."</p>
<p>"It is, and we can't tell you how relieved we are," P/R answered her. "The entire west coast got eaten."</p>
<p>Her smile disappeared as she went sober. "Not good, but not surprisin' neither. Yer lookin' rather tuckered out. Need a place to stay?"</p>
<p>Michael finally recovered enough to stand back up and dust off. "Yes, please," P/R said. "We can pay, and we won't stay long. We just have a message to pass on to everyone."</p>
<p>The Adventurer blinked, then gave a nod. "All right. Come along, then. Outside Adventurers got stories to tell, and the top will want to hear them. We'll at least feed you for that."</p>
<p>"Sounds good," Brenner said. The Adventurer paused just long enough to look into his milky eyes as if not quite sure if they were part of his avatar or not. It was hard to tell since he could see people in the spirit realm, so looked at them properly.</p>
<p>As they walked towards the city wall, Michael said, "At the risk of being offensive, you're one of the ones that got forcibly cross-gendered on the transfer, aren't you?"</p>
<p>The perky freckled nose wrinkled up. "Yes," their guide admitted a bit unhappily. "Not many girls played <em>Elder Tales</em>."</p>
<p>"Well, not in the States," Michael agreed. "Not when the siren call of social media was the stronger one for them."</p>
<p>The cowboy-turned-cowgirl nodded agreement, then shrugged. "It's been odd, but alright, I guess."</p>
<p>The Eagles glanced at each other. Things hadn't been as hard here in quiet Idaho, then. "Have you heard from Pocatello and Idaho Falls?" Michael asked.</p>
<p>He got a shake of the head. "Idaho Falls was too close to the Yellowstone zone, and surrounded on almost all sides, making it a sitting duck bowl. They fled to Pocatello which doubled their number. They've been holding out there, bottle-necking that same bowl, which was a better position.</p>
<p>"We have regular trade and communications with them, but there's been talk about migrating both cities on down into Utah. Not so much commitment to that just yet, though." He flashed them a glance, but it looked like he didn't expect them to understand. Since they didn't, they didn't comment on it.</p>
<p>"That's pretty good, to have trade and communication with them," P/R congratulated them. It was better than not venturing out of the city, that was for sure. "How bad are the Overwritten?"</p>
<p>"Not so much any more," came the answer. "We finally figured out how to get them to not come back anymore." The Eagles reserved judgment on that one. It could have been the Eagle's efforts on the moon that did that, being coincidental to what they had tried. "That's one of the reasons to migrate, actually, but I should let the top tell it all to you." They were inspected again, from the corner of his eye. "You came from the west coast, then?"</p>
<p>"We've come by way of there," Michael agreed casually.</p>
<p>That answer was considered as they passed through the city gate. The Eagles looked around with great interest. Boise had been damaged, but not obliterated. It looked like Twin Falls had been under attack a few times, but where Adventurers were living was in repair for the most part. There were also the smells of real food in the air.</p>
<p>That was a first in a while. "Is there enough food that we could resupply?" Michael asked almost as soon as his saliva got going.</p>
<p>That won them another small smile. "Yeah, but it will cost a pretty penny. It's a lot of effort to collect it all."</p>
<p>Brenner frowned a bit. "Do the People of the Land grow it and sell it in town?"</p>
<p>Their guide turned his head away from them. After a bit of a pause, he said, "As I said, at this point it's probably best to leave questions and answers up to your next appointment."</p>
<p>The three kept sharp eyes out for the tenor of the city and the people in it, given that answer. What few People of the Land they did see were rather timid and held to the shadows. There seemed to be some tension among the Adventurers, but there wasn't any open confrontation going on. There were a lot of Adventurers in town, too, as they'd been told.</p>
<p>When they weren't taken to the Guild Hall, they glanced at each other again, unsure as to why. They'd seen it and the Cathedral as they'd passed through the market district - set somewhat close to the gates. Instead, they turned nearly immediately east out of the market district and were headed out a ways from that part of the city.</p>
<p>A right took them down another street. A few blocks down the street was a park-like area with two buildings set on it. One was tall and white. The other was brick and looked like it had been fixed up after the catastrophe, like most buildings had been by the Adventurers when they wanted to inhabit them.</p>
<p>Brenner was having troubles not letting his jaw drop a bit as they passed the white building and continued on for the other one. "Umm, that's one of the temples, isn't it?" he finally asked. Michael looked at him quizzically, then looked at the building again from the boundary of the spirit realm. It was just as solid and white in that realm as well, surprising him.</p>
<p>Their guide glanced at the building, then Brenner. "Yeah." He wasn't going to say anything more than that, it seemed.</p>
<p>"Why's it not in the same state of disrepair the rest of the buildings are - I mean like as in the flavor text of all Adventurer cities from that time?" P/R asked, puzzled.</p>
<p>They got a sharp shrug. "It wasn't in the game."</p>
<p>That got widened eyes from all three. "You guys <em>built</em> it?" Brenner burst out with.</p>
<p>That got a laugh. "No, though they probably would have if there were enough of them to do it." He shook his head. "Just let them tell you," he suggested strongly. The three settled down to it. They were already there, anyway.</p>
<p>Their guide walked them into the building and around to an office. He knocked on the door and after a few seconds it was opened from the inside. "May I help you?"</p>
<p>Their guide pointed with his thumb. "These are from outside. They arrived just a bit ago up by the river. They've got questions and a message. Thought they should start with you."</p>
<p>The man smiled a kind smile. "Thank you for bringing them, Phillip." He got a curt nod and the Eagles got a farewell and their guide disappeared back the way they'd come. "Please come in."</p>
<p>The dwarven-short, but elvin-looking young man stepped back out of the doorway of his office and headed to jump up into his chair behind the desk in the room. The rest of his features were somewhat non-descript for <em>Elder Tales</em>. Short brown hair, brown eyes, and cleanshaven face without flavor features to marr it almost made him look like a Hobbit-ish recreation.</p>
<p>They walked into the small office and took the offered chairs that were in front of the desk, although there were eight total around the perimeter of the room. P/R helped Brenner find his chair since small physical things like that were a bit harder for him to make out.</p>
<p>Michael was rather grateful to find the chairs were comfortable. He hoped he didn't fall asleep. He'd snore for sure, and he wanted to hear the story. It looked like it might be interesting, since it was a city still standing in their nearly-present time.</p>
<p>P/R started, since it was his role to. "Thank you for seeing us. We do have something we'd like to let all the Adventurers in the city know, and perhaps a few quest requests for them to consider. Before we do that, though, we'd like to know what's happened here since the catastrophe and get a sense for how things are going. We'd like to know how hard an audience we'll have."</p>
<p>The man in front of them looked at them closely, then said, "Would you mind if I invited my councilors to join us?" They shook their heads, not minding at all. "Then I'll tell you what happened here while they're on their way." He took a moment to conference chat, then returned his attention to them.</p>
<p>"I'd guess that early on it was like it was anywhere. Everyone was confused, and worried, and got depressed unless they had friends to hold on to, and even then it was hard. We heard that in Boise there were fights, but they were five times our number then. We only had a few hundred at most so there wasn't much point to fighting, although some did have to let off steam. Mostly we got to work trying to figure out what had happened and how to live here."</p>
<p>They inspected his status screen while he talked. His screen name was BillyBoy, but he hadn't introduced himself yet and for some reason it seemed he might not be going by his screen name. He also wasn't guilded, which was interesting since he seemed to be in the position of a guildmaster and city leader. He was a Bard, and that also didn't seem to fit him particularly since he felt like a Guardian, for all his stature would belie that feeling.</p>
<p>"The first Special came and we all rallied around and took care of it, but since we weren't prepared we lost some of the People of the Land. That came as rather a shock, actually, that they could die for real." The Eagles nodded sympathetically. "We took better care of them after that, although we hadn't mistreated them before. We just hadn't known they could die.</p>
<p>"It was that Special that let us know we couldn't die, too. Everyone who'd gone out to farm had been careful to get back here before death before that. It was rather relieving, actually, since most everyone wants to go back home if we can. We'd rather not die here." They understood that, too. It was pretty universal, even if one wanted to stay on Theldesia.</p>
<p>"When the second Special came through, we got the People of the Land inside and protected and took care of it properly. It was tough, and a bit irritating, but it wasn't too bad." BillyBoy frowned. "It was the Overwritten that kept popping up that were worst, though. We had to keep beating them back into the monster zones.</p>
<p>"We set up regular patrols. It was one of our Priests who finally got tired of whacking at one that cast out the Overwritten from the monster and it actually went. That was a bit surprising, but it kept working so he taught it to the rest of us."</p>
<p>The man paused, "Ah...that is, we of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had banded together fairly early on to hold regular Sunday church services and to give each other moral support. We're a volunteer lay clergy from the age of twelve. We've got a few Teachers - that's the fourteen and fifteen year olds - about two hands-full of Priests - that's the sixteen through about eighteen year olds - and the rest of us are Elders, who hold the higher priesthood.</p>
<p>"That Priest came back and let the rest of us know what he'd done. One of us always goes out with each patrol now that we've got the numbers of Overwritten controlled, although not many come now. We've got a few raids out now making sure we've cleaned out as many as possible as far as we can reasonably get. We're pretty sure they stayed in zones near the Adventurer cities.</p>
<p>"There's a multi-raid group out on the yearly quest right now that are trying the same on the demihumans. There just aren't enough of us to keep them under control if we can't add in something to slow them down. So far we're hearing positive reports."</p>
<p>Michael blinked. They were already taking care of two of the four quests - in an odd but very familiar (now) way. And not because of the Inari, either, by the sound of it. Brenner leaned forward just a bit. "Do they use clerical spells of Theldesia to cast out the Overwritten? We've been calling that Purification."</p>
<p>BillyBoy shook his head. "No. We use the priesthood conferred on us when we were ordained back on Earth." He considered a bit. "I suppose it could be considered a purification, but it's not a spell. It's using the authority of God, with faith that He'll answer our request."</p>
<p>Brenner almost glowed. He'd found company, even if they were of a different church. Before it could go to a theological discussion, Michael put a restraining hand lightly on Brenner's arm. "What happened when the July Fourth Special came? It wiped out every city on the west coast."</p>
<p>BillyBoy nodded. "It took out most of Boise, too, and enough of us." He paused to take a breath. It looked like it had been a hard time and his expression went from one of open friendliness to a harder look: the kind of look that people who have to make hard decisions wear.</p>
<p>"We worked hard to get rid of the Overwritten but they were taking out too many of us. If all of us died, then we wouldn't be here to help keep everyone protected generally. We fell back here to the temple grounds.</p>
<p>"Eventually all the remaining Adventurers in the city joined us here. The Overwritten couldn't cross onto the dedicated ground. We were able to eventually get rid of them all, but only if we didn't cross that boundary. That took us down to less than one hundred total Twin Falls Adventurers." He was very sober.</p>
<p>"When the group from Boise got here, they were rather overwhelming in number and not so willing to work hard to eat. We've been trying to protect the People of the Land who live here, but the Adventurers of Boise tease and aren't so kind, so the People of the Land are afraid. We aren't enough to keep them protected like we would like to, but the Adventurers back down if we show up to scold them.</p>
<p>"There's a temple in Boise, too, but they didn't learn what we did here at that Special. They aren't the numbers they were up there, but they're enough. We were glad to have our ranks increased by the members of the church from up there, so we're enough now to fill the patrols and go on the raids." He shook his head, then looked up at a knock on the door. "If you'll let them in please?" he asked P/R.</p>
<p>P/R rose to his feet and opened the door. Two more men came in the room. One was an Enchanter, the other a Kannagi. BillyBoy made the introductions and everyone settled again. BillyBoy got the two new men caught up. "If you'd be willing to tell us your story, now?" he asked the Eagles.</p>
<p>While BillyBoy was distracting his councilors, Brenner sent a private chat message to both P/R and Michael, "<em>I think we can tell them where we really came from. These will keep it secret and not be worried.</em>" Michael wasn't so sure.</p>
<p>Brenner hesitated, then added, "<em>God is a God of Truth. If they really are true believers, I don't think it would be wise to lie. We don't have to tell them everything, but I do think telling them where the quest requests really come from would be a good thing to do - that is from Shiroe. Not so sure they'd react well to knowing about the Inari. Most believers wouldn't.</em>" Michael gave a nod at that reasoning and level of openness.</p>
<p>P/R smoothly opened. "We're actually on a quest ourselves to learn just what happened here in the Western Hemisphere. We're American military that were stationed over in Japan." That was enough to get surprised blinks from the three. "We'd rather that not be made common knowledge, that much, but it looks like you at least are trying very hard. Not everyone is." They agreed soberly with that.</p>
<p>"I don't know if you've heard of the gamer Shiroe of the Debauchery Tea Party. He was their strategist. He's considered a Master Strategist and was titled the Archmage by the game when he got here he's been playing for so long." It looked like one of them had heard of him perhaps, or at least of the Tea Party.</p>
<p>"His goal is to find the way home for everyone, or at least those who want to go back home, since there are some who don't want to. He's being helped by someone who has access to the computer database we came over here with." Eyes got wide and only got wider as P/R continued.</p>
<p>"We've been given the quest to pass on the quests that will get us home. You're already doing two of them, we're happy to hear, and perhaps three. One of them is to rid the entire planet of Overwritten. The second one is to purify the matter the demihumans are made out of, without completely wiping out all the useful ones - just get them to a reasonable level that the People of the Land can manage so they can live without us if we go home. It sounds like you've about got those two accomplished for your area, which is perfect."</p>
<p>P/R paused to gauge his listeners. "The third quest is to get everyone living peacefully together. We'd like to not have conflict between Adventurers. Shiroe put it this way: 'I would prefer that we learn to coexist peaceably with this world and with one another, for only in that way can all have the best potential for the best life they can provide for themselves - here or at home'."</p>
<p>At that, the man who'd recognized the name sat up. "Ah! That's where it's from. You remember I brought that package back?" He looked at the other two men with him, and they got lights of understanding in their eyes.</p>
<p>BillyBoy looked back at them curiously. "You're from him? You're following that message?"</p>
<p>P/R nodded. "We're glad you've seen that one. Have you seen the second one yet?" He pulled out the second seed and held it on his palm. They looked at it curiously and shook their heads. He played it for them, allowing them to hear the quest requests that P/R had added at the end of the Adventurer's Creed for their purposes this trip.</p>
<p>BillyBoy held out his hand in request for the seed. P/R handed it over. BillyBoy looked at it, a bit misty-eyed, then looked at his two councilors. They nodded at him soberly. "Really, I believe you're the answer to our prayers," he said quietly. "Thank you for coming today."</p>
<p>He swallowed and looked up at the three Eagles. "We're used to persecution, at least in our history. It's been hard to live it again." He paused. "We three have received inspiration - revelation from God - that it's time for us to head down south to Salt Lake City, where the headquarters of the church is. The rest of this city doesn't want us to go. We've sent out the patrols as part of our compromise with them - that they'll let us leave once there isn't anything to threaten them any more."</p>
<p>He set the seed down on the desk and took a breath again. "We don't expect them to let us go even after that, though. When they ask us about the next Special we can't promise them anything. They're terrified if we go and another Special happens anywhere near as bad as the last one - or heaven forbid worse - they'll all die, even though they could come here to the temple grounds and wait it out. We're just not sure that would be sufficient, though."</p>
<p>BillyBoy glanced at his councilors again. "We've suggested they can come with us, and some might, but most want to stay here. This is closest to home and they're just as worried about the trip. They made it here, but they lost some along the way, fleeing as fast as they could go. The city council argues the issues regularly now, and some are putting pressure on us outside those meetings to shut up and give up."</p>
<p>He shook his head slowly. "When God tells us to move, we move. We've been praying for help in getting free, and for knowledge to help us know how to help the city let us go peaceably." He looked at the seed in front of him. "We don't have any problem with what was said, and we'd love to do what we can to help everyone get home, since we'd love to get home, too. But we should stop in Salt Lake and learn what we're supposed to learn there first." His eyes went to them again. "What can we do to help you help us?"</p>
<p>The three Eagles gave him small smiles. "As P/R said, you've already done quite a lot of it," Michael said in his voice that calmed young men who were under too much pressure and stress. "If you'll hear the rest of what he has to say, I think you'll get the answers to that question."</p>
<p>The three men listened very closely to P/R as he gave them the quest request to go with them to repair the remaining U.S. Mazes of Eternity and explained how to wrap up the rest of the quests - by allowing them to speak to all the Adventurers of the city. If they could be believed, the Adventurers of the city shouldn't have any problems with letting them go. They hoped that wasn't too big an "if".</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>Michael, Brenner, and P/R walked down the main street of Twin Falls. They shopped as they went, glad they'd picked up plenty of gold in the last several Mazes of Eternity. Things were indeed expensive when compared to prices in Yamato. Michael would have liked to have purchased enough for the sub-guild as a whole - and he did on a few items - but really that was prohibitive when they could farm perhaps better than most in the area.</p>
<p>As they went, they listened to the rumors and asked questions of the Adventurers and shop keepers, collecting the information they needed. When they felt they had at least a rudimentary feeling for the city they headed for the Guild Hall.</p>
<p>There, they dropped off what gold they didn't need to be carrying around with them, and a few items each to make it look like they'd been out in the zones for a while. They'd decided it wasn't time yet to teach the Adventurers here about recursion in the lists, particularly since there wasn't a manufacturing facility for the boxes.</p>
<p>As they turned away from the desk they were stopped by a half alv and a burly wolf-fang. "Visiting the city?" the half alv, a Swashbuckler, was trying for casual. He had ulterior motivations that didn't help his case, but they were fishing so they rolled with it.</p>
<p>"Yup," P/R said. "Nice place. Like the view over the river, too."</p>
<p>"Sure is pretty," the wolf-fang agreed. He was a Samurai, although his clothing choices weren't typical for that Class, being more casual modern. Both men were wearing good grade clothing and equipment, showing their willingness to work to earn them either before the catastrophe or since.</p>
<p>They weren't slouches in the levels, although they were still only in the lower single-digit hundreds. Most of the city was around that at the highest, save a few who were up near or just over one hundred ten. Most of those they'd seen in the city looked rather meek for well advanced Adventurers. They had their suspicions about that, but for now weren't in a hurry to confirm it. Right now was merely observation time.</p>
<p>"Our guildmaster was hoping you'd come talk to him," the invitation was finally offered.</p>
<p>"Well, we were hoping to talk to the city council as a whole, actually," P/R answered casually. "We'd like to just tell the story once and be done. We need to move on soon."</p>
<p>"Just passing through?" the half alv raised an eyebrow.</p>
<p>The three nodded, "We have business in every city - the same business - and we'd like to get to it, if you know where we can find the council?" P/R asked politely.</p>
<p>The half alv stepped away to quietly chat while the wolf-fang kept up the chatter to keep them around and occupied. When the half alv returned, he invited them up to the top floor office. They were let into one guild's office and introduced to the guildmaster there. It was obvious he was used to leading people and being followed. They'd played this game with the Master Strategist though and were able to keep the conversation limited to exactly what they were willing to let out to this filter to getting into the council as a whole.</p>
<p>It still seemed like he was reluctant to let them talk to the council, so they fell back on what they really wanted to do: "Well, if the council heads are busy, that's okay, really we just want to offer a few quests to the Adventurers as a whole. We'd like permission to hold a general announcement out in the square."</p>
<p>Eyes were narrowed at them. "It's not proselytizing, is it?"</p>
<p>They blinked back. "Ah...no?"</p>
<p>"You're not with the Mormon group?"</p>
<p>"No," P/R shook his head, denying it. "We were picked up outside of town by one of the guards and taken there first. That's not what we were looking for, though. They sent us back here."</p>
<p>The guildmaster relaxed a bit and considered them and their request. "I guess if it really is just quest requests, everyone's entitled to hear it and decide if they want to take them on or not."</p>
<p>Michael nodded agreement as P/R expressed his thanks and got them extricated from the room. The half alv and the wolf-fang escorted them back down, though, and tailed them after they'd said their goodbyes. The three didn't let it bother them - just added it to their observation notebooks.</p>
<p>They set up in the city square, finding a place where larger boulders were set near a tree. P/R climbed up on the rocks and Michael and Brenner got people's attention from farther out, asking them to come and listen. Once it looked like they had gotten the most they could get in the area, P/R cast his voice amplification spell on himself.</p>
<p>"Hello everybody," he said, his voice echoing really throughout most of the populated part of the city, since he'd modified the spell to let everyone in the city hear what he had to say. "We're glad to see the city of Twin Falls full of life and Adventurers. We've come from the west coast which isn't, sad to say.</p>
<p>"We've been tasked with finding Adventurers willing to help out with a few world-level quests. If you could spare us a few minutes of your time to hear what they are, please, and consider if you'd be willing to help us out. The final payout is one I think that all of you might be interested in." P/R paused to make sure he really did have as much attention as he could get. It was rather a lot, given that lead in and human curiosity.</p>
<p>"We've been in contact with people on the other side of Theldesia who are working really hard to get us back home to Earth. In order for that to happen, they've been told what has to be fixed here on this planet. Since it's planet-wide, we need as much help as possible - even if you might not specifically want to get home. Those who don't want to go home won't have to, but it will help us to have your help in getting the quests done." He had some very interested people listening to him now.</p>
<p>"You all know about the Overwritten. They're pests and really annoying, not to mention pains in the butt. That's one of the quests. They have to be completely eliminated from off of Theldesia." He held up his hand at the murmurs that started up at that. "We've already found their home base and cut them off. All that's left are the ones that were let out before we got there.</p>
<p>"Once they've all been hunted down, we're in the clear on that quest. We just have to find all of them, which is a rather massive undertaking. That's why we're recruiting as many Adventurers as possible to help with that hunt. The sooner we all take them down, the sooner we can move forward on getting home."</p>
<p>P/R held up one finger, then let a second one flick out as he spoke. "That's quest one. Quest two is kind of similar and can be done at the same time. That's to rebalance what the flavor text of the Ruquinjé did to unbalance the demihuman to People of the Land ratios.</p>
<p>"Purification of the matter the demihumans are made out of restores the proper balance. However, they're also what we farm and harvest to get the drops we need. So, we're asking for people to calculate which ones really need to be taken out and let those who are needed live. We don't need them completely gone, just a balance restored. If you don't know how to purify, or don't have a weapon of purification, we can bless weapons for you that you can use.</p>
<p>"There's a bonus with that one. If you've got a cursed weapon and we bless it, for every demihuman purified the cursing is erased by a small percent. If you've got a favorite weapon you can't use anymore because the flavor text went real, now you'll be able to again if you use it specifically for this quest." The crowd muttered in surprised approval for that one. It was a universal problem for Adventurers, after all.</p>
<p>"We've been asked to make sure that all the Adventurers are still playing nicely with each other while we're out on this quest of quest requests. So, we'd just like to remind everyone that we all paid to play <em>Elder Tales</em>.</p>
<p>"Just like we all got along when it was on the other side of the PC screen, we'd like to remind you to please continue to play nice, and be responsible adults as much as possible. There are people working to get us home, and there are people who care everywhere. Please let your best natures be what rule your actions and words."</p>
<p>P/R paused and considered the crowd. "There won't be any more Specials. That got done away with when we were handed the world level quests. The game system wants us to focus on those quests so that its own goals are met. There will be one final boss battle we'll have to fight, down at the root of the World Tree. You'll need to find where your region's entrance to the World Tree is. When the battle is announced, they want every Adventurer to show up for it.</p>
<p>"We'll be fighting for our right to have the freedom to do what we want to do - the freedom that was taken away when we were stolen from Earth and brought here without even being asked if we would want to. As I said, you won't have to go home. We're fighting for the right to choose to stay or go. Please keep that in the back of your minds and come help us in that fight."</p>
<p>P/R waved his hand at Michael and Brenner below him. "We'll be here until tomorrow morning, answering questions about the quests and blessing weapons. We've still got a lot of ground to cover, but we'll stay that long. Please help us in whatever way you feel you can. Thank you."</p>
<p>He crouched down, but stayed up on the rock, waiting to see if there would be any questions. When the questions died down, the three moved to an open and obvious location in the restaurant district and ordered an early dinner. It would be good to get food into them before they got too busy.</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>Plenty of Adventurers showed up to get favorite cursed weapons blessed, and lots of questions were asked - mostly in disbelief, but the three never wavered in their conviction and story. When the Adventurers around them pulled back, they looked to see what was coming.</p>
<p>Five people were advancing on them, including the guildmaster they'd been taken to see in the Guild Hall. It wasn't unexpected. The city council would want to confirm for themselves the stories their guild members had been passing to them. Tagging along behind them were three more, including BillyBoy. They ignored him, focusing on the five who were arranged in front of their table now.</p>
<p>"Can we help you?" P/R asked politely.</p>
<p>"Is it really true, that the Specials are done?" one demanded immediately.</p>
<p>"Yes," P/R answered soberly. Michael and Brenner backed him up with nods. "The person who negotiated the world quests in order to get us home made it very clear that if the Specials continued at the same time, we'd not help with the quests. It was part of the package from the beginning."</p>
<p>"How do you know about these quests? Are they really legitimate?" another suspicious one asked.</p>
<p>P/R pulled out another one of the second seeds and set it on the table in front of him. This time, he didn't just make it play for the people in front of them to see. He replicated it above the crowd in large 3D so that everyone in the area could hear it play out.</p>
<p>When it was done and people had time to think it over, P/R said, "Shiroe is the Master Strategist of the well known group the Debauchery Tea Party. He's the one who's been negotiating our way home. He's the one who gave us our quest to pass along the world quests to everyone.</p>
<p>"It's not a lie, nor a fabrication. It is very real and we are all very earnest in our desires to see we get the drop on this one. In case you don't know of him, he's been playing the game since it was still in its first year of international distribution, and played every quest and sub-quest that came out. He's the world's best bet to getting us home."</p>
<p>They digested that for a bit. Then it finally came out: "We can fight the Overwritten and even defeat them, but if they kill us, we stay dead. How are we supposed to keep going forward, or even hope to go home if that's our end?"</p>
<p>The three shook their heads. "Not dead-dead. Only temporarily dead. We're on one more quest. That's to fix that particular problem so that everyone will resurrect again like they're supposed to. We've been taught how to repair that break in the system. Once we've finished passing out the world quest requests, we'll go fix that problem and move on to the next region to start all over again.</p>
<p>"We're taking volunteers for that, too, but it's a lot more difficult. We have to face the largest nest of Overwritten there is in the region to get to the thing that needs repair. If you've got anyone in town that has lots of good experience with fighting them, we would like each city to send a few volunteers to help us. Right now we're only a raid and that's not enough to take them down."</p>
<p>Some of the council went pale and shook their heads, not willing to face in large numbers and strength what had chased them to Twin Falls in the first place. P/R looked at the other guildmasters. "Have you got a few you could ask to come help us?"</p>
<p>They paused, then one by one shook their heads. "We could help out with the demihuman problem," the head of the council finally allowed. "I'm sure we'd like to not lose some of the good drop zones, but helping with the Overwritten...only the foolhardy do that."</p>
<p>Eyes glanced to the three who were standing behind the five, listening. They got a little upset at that comment. Slowly the council leader's head and eyes turned their way. He considered them for a bit. "How are the groups that are out coming along?" he asked.</p>
<p>"The ones hunting Overwritten haven't found any more nests for the last two days and were wondering if they should come back in. The patrols say it's pretty quiet," BillyBoy answered.</p>
<p>The council leader looked at the rest of the members of the council. The more nervous glanced between him and the three and licked their lips. Finally they gave sharp nods. The not so nervous ones thought about it a little harder, then finally gave nods as well. "We've got the city protections if necessary...and the temple grounds in emergency."</p>
<p>"You could come with us," BillyBoy said quietly. There were shakes of the heads of the council leaders.</p>
<p>"Isn't that for each Adventurer to decide?" Michael asked.</p>
<p>He got sharp looks from the council, but they had to agree. Since he'd drawn their attention, attention also went to Brenner. "Why's he blind?" one of the nervous ones asked. "That wasn't an option in the game."</p>
<p>Brenner held up his hand to calm the person who'd asked. "It was a cursing, but it's slowly lifting. I was one of the lucky ones who didn't get hit so badly by the flavor text." That settled those who'd seen cursed items and weapons go berserk. "If you'd come, we'd be happy to have the help," he said to the three in the back to return to the topic at hand.</p>
<p>The council leader's eyes narrowed just a bit. "What religion are you three?"</p>
<p>Brenner raised an eyebrow. "Christian."</p>
<p>Michael raised one finger. "Pious, but not church-going. That's rather irrelevant to Theldesia, the game, and the world quests, though."</p>
<p>P/R smiled disarmingly. "It's America. Anyone can believe whatever they want to believe." He got a few sour looks, but they had to let it go.</p>
<p>After a bit more thought, the council leader finally shrugged at the three behind him. He turned away from the grouping. "It's your call. If any of your people want to be eaten up, go ahead and let them volunteer. Better you lot with your experience if we have to send someone." He walked off. The other four looked between the two groups of three, then left, agreeing with the sentiment.</p>
<p>When it was just the six facing each other, the three from Twin Falls stepped up closer to talk more quietly. "Thank you. We would all like to go. Can you wait for the patrols and the raid to get back?" BillyBoy asked.</p>
<p>Michael shook his head. "We've got to get moving," P/R said. "Like I said, we have a lot of ground to cover. We're to go to Pocatello next. Get going as soon as everyone can get going and maybe you can meet them on the way. We'll be working our way down south through the region. We'd like to meet you in Salt Lake, though.</p>
<p>"We won't actually need you for this region's maze. Rather, we'd like you to come with us to the central region's maze. If you'd be willing to gather up volunteers, we'll take what we can get. We'll send any extra ones south to Central and South Amerka. We still haven't been down there to spread the word yet."</p>
<p>Eyes lit up at that. "Actually, a fair number of those who've been on missions already are Spanish speaking and have experience with Hispanic peoples. We can specifically ask for volunteers from that group to go down there."</p>
<p>"That would be very helpful," P/R agreed. Michael was a bit surprised to hear they would already have a toe up in that area if they could convince enough to go. Knowing a people and their culture really helped - as already proven by him and his squad in Yamato.</p>
<p>"Can we teach you how we bless weapons, game style, so you understand it?" Brenner asked.</p>
<p>"Sure," BillyBoy answered. "Ah, this is Hue. He's the Teacher's Quorum president. This is Brad, the first councilor of the Priest's Quorum. The quorum president is out on the raid. I'm the Elder's Quorum president. We'd like to know if we can add you to our friend lists." He looked at the other two with him, a bit concerned. "We're not sure whether to trust them yet really. If we get into a bit of trouble, can we contact you?"</p>
<p>"Sure," Michael said calmly. "May I make a recommendation?"</p>
<p>"Sure," the three boys waited expectantly, but not with the urgency of the panicked. That was interesting.</p>
<p>"Don't wait for everyone to get home. Send them now from wherever they're at. Get everyone in town out now while you have permission and meet the rest of them outside town. It sounds like it's safe enough if you stay out of the aggro zones. The People of the Land will leave town if you're not here to protect them, and they'll leave just as quietly, so I don't think you need to worry about them."</p>
<p>"Well...we'll pass on the word to them we're leaving," BillyBoy said slowly. "We can start the word and be out before they've all heard it, but it will be enough." His other two companions nodded, liking the plan.</p>
<p>Brenner called over the next Adventurer who wanted a weapon blessed and the three boys watched as it was done. When that Adventurer had left, BillyBoy looked at Brenner solemnly. "We have the power to bless to heal. If you'd like, we could bless you with healing from your blindness." Brenner stared at them, taken aback. "God's power and blessing, not the game," BillyBoy clarified quietly and with great faith behind his words.</p>
<p>Brenner sat stunned, his breath taken away. Finally he slowly shook his head. "Not yet. ...We'll see you again. I'll think about it until then."</p>
<p>They agreed politely and left to begin collecting people for their exodus from Twin Falls. "Why not?" P/R asked Brenner.</p>
<p>Brenner looked back solemnly. "Those are children, P/R. I'm already having to suspend prejudices taught to me from when I was young when I talk to them. For me to believe that children have been given the power of God on earth will take me a while to consider. I'll not take them up on it if I can't have the faith to be healed by them. That's contrary to how God works, too. It's both the faith to heal and the faith to be healed that blesses the seeker of healing."</p>
<p>There was a sudden soft purring in their ears and a little spirit cat appeared on Brenner's shoulder. He reached up and pet Purrcy as she said, "But they are such good children. I think they'll be able to help all of you quite a lot."</p>
<p>She rubbed her head on Brenner's jaw. "I would have come before now, but they would have seen me and they're not ready for that just yet, I think. Thank you, you three. You've done well here. Keep up the good work." She purred for a few more seconds, then disappeared. All three of them sighed. She was still thanking them for doing whatever they wanted.</p>
<p>"They aren't any younger than Log Horizon and the lot of you," Michael scolded Brenner mildly as he waved the next Adventurer over. Brenner sat stiffly for a while after that.</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>Pocatello was another Adventurer city finally with life in it, if not so many people. Only about three hundred to five hundred or perhaps less. Still, it seemed rather calm, all considered, even if busy with life going on.</p>
<p>Michael had gotten a good rest at an inn in Twin Falls, and then walked them back through time right after breakfast so that they arrived in Pocatello at the same time as they'd arrived in Twin Falls. It was going to cause a bit of confusion in the people they talked to that happened to meet up, if the topic ever came up, but they really were short on time.</p>
<p>They were welcomed to the city nearly immediately upon entering the gate. When they explained they were there with a message for everyone, and quest requests, they were straightway escorted to the center of town where a stand was set up, similar to the permanent stage in Akiba. A bell was rung and Adventurers turned to face the stand, and others began to arrive in the courtyard.</p>
<p>While they waited, Brenner asked, "We've seen Twin Falls. Did all of you survive the Special the same way they did?"</p>
<p>Their host nodded. "Yes. The temple grounds are sacred sanctified ground. When we found that held true even here, a lot of us ran there. It's got a goodly amount of room. We were surprised to learn that those who ran to the old Catholic cathedral were protected similarly."</p>
<p>Brenner blinked, then asked, "Are all the old church grounds the same: considered sacred ground now?"</p>
<p>Their host shrugged. "I don't think anyone tried anywhere else at the time. I do know we didn't end up at the Adventurer Cathedral, nor go there. We didn't want the Overwritten to destroy it, although it didn't matter in the end," his face screwed up in a bitter and sorrowful expression. They understood that.</p>
<p>"How many haven't been able to face living on Theldesia?" Michael asked.</p>
<p>He rubbed his chin. "Well, most everyone is doing fine. Sometimes we have to help someone who gets hit with the homesickness hard, but we're all used to living a hard life out here. Hard work is what keeps us all moving forward.</p>
<p>"Some aren't willing to fight monsters, but everyone helps fight the Specials. A lot are enjoying working with the farmers, and some even live out with them during the week and just come in on weekends." He smiled and winked. "You know, just like at home."</p>
<p>They smiled back. That was rather what they'd thought they'd find out here, really. "We need the word of our message to get out to them, too," P/R said. "Can they be brought in by group chat, or will the rest of you tell them?"</p>
<p>"We'll tell them," he got a firm nod. "Most everyone is already in town, though. We've been in discussions on moving down to Utah, or at least going down to visit for a conference. It's been long enough we've all been here that it's time to be more united across the board." That opinion suited the three of the guests just fine.</p>
<p>"We haven't seen any more Overwritten in about a month or so, although we do get the occasional surge of Creatures of the Land. We've been working on keeping that down, too, so we think we can afford to leave the People of the Land unprotected for a while. They can always retreat back here if they need to until we get back."</p>
<p>The Eagles gave nods, then moved when their host motioned to them that it was time get up on the stand. All three walked up on the stand, but they let P/R take center front since he was the face and voice to the cities this round.</p>
<p>This time, based on what they'd been told, he started with Shiroe's message in the second seed. The Adventurers in the city paid close attention to it, then gave P/R their sober attention. He detailed the two main quests like before, then paused. One Adventurer raised a hand. "We've already done all that in our area. You're saying it needs to be done for the whole of both continents?"</p>
<p>"Yes," P/R said. "We're passing on the quests to all the cities of Adventurers, but we need help with that part, too, and we need to make sure that all the hidden away zones get visits to confirm they really are cleaned out."</p>
<p>The person who had raised his hand shook his head. "No. We pray to know if a zone is cleared out or not. When we get a confirmation it is, we move on. We know we're clear out here, even into Yellowstone where we've been working with Montana and Wyoming to make sure."</p>
<p>Michael blinked then said quietly to the two with him, "Wish I'd thought of that. We need to use that." They very slightly nodded their heads in agreement.</p>
<p>"Thank you," P/R said solemnly to the assembled Adventurers. "To know that this part of the world is already in place on those two quests is very relieving. Any who are willing to leave the area and help in others would be very helpful. We still need to get down into Central and South Amerka and we've been moving from the west coast to the east coast so we don't know what we're still getting ourselves into." That got thoughtful nods as Adventurer minds immediately got to work, like always when presented with quests.</p>
<p>P/R paused and then said, "We know it's been hard to have lost Adventurers to death, but we wanted to let you know that it's temporary death with a solution. Our third quest is a repair quest to fix the issue so that Adventurers can resurrect again like they're supposed to. We're taking volunteers for that quest, too, although we don't need a lot.</p>
<p>"We're required to clean out the worst of the nests of Overwritten and get into the center where they're damaging the Adventurer Trees of Life. We need some to go east with us and more to go south for that one as well. There's one per region at the point of the regional servers."</p>
<p>That got a lot more interest from the Adventurers in the city and it was almost overwhelming compared to the reaction they'd gotten so far. P/R cleared his throat. "We're asking anyone who wants to participate in that quest to meet up with us in Salt Lake in about a week or so, depending on how long it takes for the rest of our party to get here." That helped calm down the tenor of the audience, making the three on the stand relax just a little better as well.</p>
<p>"We're also reminding all Adventurers that we paid to play <em>Elder Tales</em>. Everyone has the right to choose and to have the best life here possible, as Shiroe said." P/R waved at the seed still sitting on the stand in front of him where he'd set it down to project for everyone to see. "As part of that right to choose, when Shiroe won the quest requests, he set the requirement that there would be no more Specials so we could focus on getting the world quests done.</p>
<p>"After they're completed, there is one final battle. It will be a world battle, like the quests are world quests. All Adventurers are asked to participate in it. It will be held at the root of the World Tree.</p>
<p>"You'll need to find this region's entrance to the World Tree and go there when the battle is called to begin. Even if you want to choose to stay here on Theldesia, please come participate to help the rest of us who want to go home. You'll get to choose whether to stay or go, the choice we all should have been given at the beginning."</p>
<p>Adventurers were blinking and thinking until one Guardian cracked the knuckles of one hand with the other. The rest of the Adventurers settled into calm, quiet battle mode. This group would be present, just like they were present at all the other Specials to see that they were handled quickly and properly.</p>
<p>As he'd offered in Twin Falls, P/R offered that they would stay until early the next morning to answer questions and bless cursed weapons. When they ran out of Adventurers by an hour after a late dinner time, they somehow weren't surprised. These were very independent Adventurers who had learned their own strengths.</p>
<p>There were a lot of excited ones, though, who sat around and talked about what might be coming and asking for as many details as the Eagles could give. They couldn't give as many as the Adventurers wanted, and withheld the details on the Mazes of Eternity. They really didn't need this whole city to volunteer for the Mazes in the U.S.</p>
<p>They might send them down south, though. And if there were this many excited to volunteer, they might send some back west to help clean out the Sierras of Overwritten. They went to bed glad to have found a city full of the sorts of Adventurers the United States should hold.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Recon in Utah</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Nyanta's ear flicked. His pen stopped, raised above the paper, and his ear flicked again. Setting his pen down carefully, he rose from his desk and walked out of his office.</p>
<p>He walked down the hall and turned a corner to a long hallway that was for the most part empty, save for one lone grey tabby temple guard standing in the middle of the hallway. "Mew who are doing nothing, go and fetch the High Purriestess from the Court of Gods and bring her to me."</p>
<p>The guard went to attention and bowed, then began walking that direction. "Faster," Nyanta ordered. The guard stiffened, then bowed with his back to Nyanta and disappeared from the hallway. Nyanta's whiskers gave a twitch of content and he returned to his office to wait.</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>Michael - who was known by a completely different name in the Gate of Time, but it hardly mattered - sighed. He couldn't be surprised Izanagi knew who he was, and therefore at least the High Priest, who would never let on if Nyanta knew or not.</p>
<p>He stepped through space directly into the square room nearly two-thirds the size of a football stadium that housed the council meetings of the deities of the Gate of Time. Each deity had a fancy throne of their own personal preference to lounge on set in the room at the same location their temples were set around the temple square. Around each of them were advisors and devotees as they saw fit to bring for the given day of meeting.</p>
<p>In Purrcy's case, she sat on the Throne of Time because it was conveniently already there. She'd simply modified the Crucible of Time to be another Tree of Life, changed the color of the fabric of the chair to hunter green, and gotten rid of the gauze that had floated over it. It was just her and Timberel present most meeting days, although sometimes Meghan went with them, and whatever number of guards Purrcy felt she needed for the day. There were only three this day.</p>
<p>Michael had already been watching over Purrcy since there was nothing else to do watching a long hallway where nothing went on. He arrived such that he merely had to take Purrcy's arm in one hand and Timberel's in the other. "Pardon me, Eminence, Your Grace," (Timberel had been made a priest about a year ago or so), "the High Priest has called you to return immediately."</p>
<p>Given the expressions on all the other deities faces was one of anger, unless it was relief from the few that Purrcy was being removed, it was good to have been sent immediately. He shifted them all into the code realm, then stepped them through space to standing just outside Nyanta's office.</p>
<p>Nyanta was waiting at the doorway, his arms folded and his expression one of complete disapproval. "Timberel, if she is going to go that far, mew also are at fault. She will call mew when she is ready again." Nyanta's dismissal was for both Michael and Timberel, so Michael stepped Timberel back to his own office on the upper floor, although Michael's attention still remained somewhat on Purrcy and Nyanta.</p>
<p>"Ah...how did you do that?" Timberel asked Michael, confusion showing in his ears and tail.</p>
<p>"It's a gift of Inari-no-Izanami," Michael said briefly. He bowed, and returned to his post with one more step to get back there.</p>
<p>Nyanta had briefly scolded Purrcy and then taken her into his office to put her to work on writing up the error of her ways as part of her punishment for riling up the Court of the Gods. Still, Michael had to smile. Her defense had been rather spot on: "They were determined to argue and fuss anyway, so I felt it at least worthy of a portion of my time to give them something to argue about that <em>mattered</em>." Still, she'd gone obediently to her punishment.</p>
<p>The next time it happened, Michael was sent but told to take her to her office where surely more important things could be accomplished (and then returned to his guard position in the middle of the beautiful but empty garden).</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>Gareth's initial reaction when Michael left him behind to be the time anchor was actually slightly one of feeling left out. That didn't last long. Both recon trios out had promised to check in after each city. That meant he and Charlie were getting sound-byte summaries every few seconds.</p>
<p>It got crazy for a while. He was hard pressed to get the large campaign map hanging in the air in front of him kept up-to-date. Since Gareth knew that rate really equated to them living one or more days per sound byte, he decided he was rather glad he wasn't putting the mileage on his own tires and engine.</p>
<p>For every report of a city without a Cathedral, he put a black "x" over it. For every city they found an ally in, or who was playing nicely together, it got a lit-up green dot. Cities that listened and weren't completely against helping, but which would likely need some help setting up good leadership were yellow. For dead cities, with no one in them, he used grey dots. The map was also updated (in his real time) for everyone on their map status screens.</p>
<p>Both Logan and Ogden, Utah, got the summary report from Michael that they were about like Akiba was - people who had grouped together with various purposes in mind, but all of them playing nicely enough together and trying hard to keep their cities going. Gareth put them green, since that litmus test was sufficient for him. Once they got the full report when both time walking groups returned that could change, but for now it was sufficient.</p>
<p>"Gareth," Michael's familiar voice wasn't the warm relaxed it had been the last four times he'd called in.</p>
<p>Gareth sat up straighter. "Yes, Sir?"</p>
<p>"Where's Intel right now?"</p>
<p>Gareth glanced at the larger map hanging in the air in front of him and Charlie. "Should be at Las Vegas right now." He waved a finger at Charlie to get his attention and added him to the chat when he got the nod.</p>
<p>"When they call in, I want to trade them places."</p>
<p>"Yessir," Charlie answered immediately.</p>
<p>"Nav, put together a composite map of the Wasatch front, most recent modern map of Earth. Overlay the equivalent from Theldesia to show where the Adventurer cities are. I need <em>exact</em> locations. Then add in, if you can find the data, the locations of all sacred buildings along that same zone. I know the Mormons had a number here, but I want Catholic and any others you can find."</p>
<p>"What is it?" Gareth asked, concerned.</p>
<p>"It looks like the west coast, only there are hold-out locations - and they aren't in the cities, most of them. They're all in siege."</p>
<p>Gareth was stunned into silence. Charlie recovered first with an intake of breath. "Do our orders change?"</p>
<p>Michael took a moment to consider it. "As much as I'd love to rush to their defense, we're still time walking. I need Intel to come up here and watch what happened from the beginning like we did on the west coast. We have time to get together and plan what happens next before we move. I need to know if they were playing nicely before the cratering started or if they started it first - and who.</p>
<p>"Every city's been a little bit different, but there's an undercurrent in some of them of religious persecution. That's going to be as sticky as the political mess on the west coast if we aren't prepared ahead of time."</p>
<p>"Got it." Charlie stopped talking, put a hand to his ear and held up his hand to Gareth.</p>
<p>"Intel's reporting in now, Sir," he let Michael know. They sat in silence until Charlie had passed on their new orders.</p>
<p>Gareth wasn't holding still just to waste time, though. He was already working on writing up the code to get the map Michael wanted. Intel would need it before they headed in and left their time zone again. He held up his hand to Charlie to let him know not to let them go until he'd gotten it put together. ...That meant he was long pole for the moment, but Charlie passed on the explanation to the rest. They'd wait for that bit of VII.</p>
<p>When he thought he'd written his search the best he could, he let the spell build up just a little, then cast it. He watched as the map was drawn in the air around the corner from his first one.</p>
<p>That caught the attention of the rest of the squadron in the room and they moved to where they could see what it was of. As the Adventurer city names were added to the background contour map, a few mutters sounded. Gareth had gone ahead and included all the city roads, too.</p>
<p>All of the entirety of the Wasatch front, from the pass that went up past Brigham City and Tremonton, down south to where the mountain range finally petered out just past Provo was all one big city. It was enough to look like the west coast of the U.S., or even Tokyo and the surrounding environs, being a long thin range of humanity huddled up against tall mountains and bounded by water on the other side for most of it.</p>
<p>Within that long length of humanity, there was one main Adventurer City roughly outside of the main part of Salt Lake City, similarly to how Akiba was in the neighborhood of Akiabara - a small part within Tokyo itself. There were another two small Adventurer towns. One at the north tip in the north Ogden area and one at the south part of the range near the south end of Provo.</p>
<p>The religious structures were a little more difficult, but did start popping up - the five or six temples of the major religion of the area going up first. Following that was the main Catholic cathedral up the mountain a bit from Temple Square in Salt Lake City (neither of which was inside the boundaries of the Adventurer city). A few other cathedrals came up on the map, then a couple of mosques, and a few Christian denomination churches.</p>
<p>Gareth had decided to go based on listed congregation size for the ones other than the temples. It wouldn't do to clutter up the map with <em>all</em> the buildings of religion in the area. In any modern city that was rather a lot. At the last minute he'd also filtered a bit on square area of land the building was sitting on. Since the Adventurers would be relying on the sacred ground to stay alive, small plots of land wouldn't likely be sufficient.</p>
<p>"Why the religious ground, boss?" got asked from the peanut gallery.</p>
<p>"It somehow stuck with Theldesia, or something unknown," Charlie answered since Gareth was still focused on his spell crafting. "It's working like purified ground and keeping Adventurers alive. The Fourth of July special included Overwritten with the code to keep Adventurers dead."</p>
<p>That got a solemn response. It would have come out in their summary report before the others got there, but they'd been reporting in too fast to get it out before then. Gareth sent Michael his map. "Is that what you're looking for? Need anything else?"</p>
<p>They waited for the reply, Charlie opening it up to full squad since they were all paying attention anyway. "Intel, can you use the same color coding Nav's been putting on the region map when you get to the end of the replay, please? We need to know where the living pockets are.</p>
<p>"We'll reconvene to discuss all of it before we step in, although their God's already got his hand in it and we're His messengers now, too. That's the other reason for the swap. I don't want us giving a helping hand to a conflict we don't need in our present, unless it's the one we're contracted to." That made sense.</p>
<p>"Can do, Sir," BlackJack answered.</p>
<p>"We'll be up there in a few," Stiletto said.</p>
<p>"Right, then we're headed down to Saint George and will work our way north. Is there anyone in Las Vegas area talking about heading up to Salt Lake?"</p>
<p>"An exploratory left Serpiente two days before we arrived," Bowie answered immediately.</p>
<p>"I'll hope to catch them in one of the towns on their way, then," Michael replied. "Map looks good, Nav."</p>
<p>Gareth immediately copied it and sent it as a secondary screen to everyone. "Good to go," Intel said.</p>
<p>"Right. Head out," Michael ordered.</p>
<p>"Out," BlackJack said and the three in the Intel detail disappeared from the line.</p>
<p>"Anything else for me from back there?" Michael asked.</p>
<p>Charlie looked at Reed. He shook his head. "Negatory," Charlie repeated back.</p>
<p>"Out," Michael said and he and his two disappeared.</p>
<p>Charlie and Gareth both returned to monitoring their connections. The Operation Play Nice team (that was still around, anyway, since some were on new duties now) got right back to work, adding in the new data and discussing if the spiel they would give on the west coast would work in the central west mountain range.</p>
<p>While for the two scout parties many days likely passed, for the squadron in the Maze of Eternity colored lights continued showing up in rather rapid succession as their reports continued to come in every fifteen seconds or less.</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>Michael sighed and ran his hand through his hair, staring at the final map. He was supposed to be sleeping before they returned to work together at the Maze of Eternity in their present. Well, at the moment (since he couldn't sleep) he'd made the other two sleep and had taken the watch. He was just going over his time was all, but that hardly mattered when he could time walk them anyway.</p>
<p>The cities in the full range of the inner mountain zones of the western region were by no means all solid green. It was as much a mix here as anywhere on Theldesia. Some cities had been taken over by greedy guilds. Some had schisms. Some knew that only by banding together could the Adventurers find the strength and courage to continue moving forward in useful ways, living life as best they could.</p>
<p>The most concerning thing was that over the Salt Lake City equivalent city was a grey dot. Salt Lake was dead. Instead, there were red and yellow dots over some of the surrounding sacred ground locations. Given they were all under siege, it wasn't possible to make them green. It had taken some research in Logan to figure out the basis of what had probably happened in Utah. Again, it wasn't any different than anywhere else, it was just going to probably cause problems when they got back home.</p>
<p>Adventurers in avatars, with only screen names, and only a few knowing them for real back home on Earth, were people in disguise. People in disguise could afford to be something they weren't when they had to show their real faces to other people. That meant that even if ninety percent of the population of Logan - or any city in Utah - was professing to belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and live to its tenants, in reality they didn't have to live them here on Theldesia.</p>
<p>Thus each city felt more like any normal city in America, rather than one that was fully committed as a whole to the teachings of Christ to live as one people. Thus there was perhaps more chaos than might be expected, and more crime, and ...well, any number of such things.</p>
<p>Having had Idaho to compare it to, Michael was trying to fit all of the cities and protected zones into generalized levels of how they would react once they were all living together again in close quarters. Most places he felt would fit on the scale of "okay", like most of Yamato did: each with their own way of running things, but the Adventurers generally willing to live and let live.</p>
<p>Salt Lake itself was surprisingly going to be the most difficult nut to crack. He was also very concerned that with the influx of devout members from the rest of the region showing up all of a sudden in the middle of things that it could turn very ugly if they weren't prepared to see the blotch and stain that seemed to have risen up.</p>
<p>Michael finally leaned his head back against the old Indian cave wall they were staying in. "Hey, Purrcy, you got a minute? I probably need the Oracle, Caretaker, and I'd like the cat if you're not doing anything critical for the moment."</p>
<p>A galaxy cat was suddenly rubbing against his arm, purring, as her tail waved gently upright in the air. He lifted his arm to scoop her into his lap and she settled down, one front paw over the other, facing him, her ears perked towards him. Her golden eyes blinked at him as her tail settled to curl a bit around her body, with the end of it lifting and falling as he pet her head down to her shoulders.</p>
<p>"Hey," he said in greeting, a small smile on his lips.</p>
<p>"What can I do for you, Michael?" she asked kindly.</p>
<p>"When Shead's Summoner friend put the Cunie under Summon contract, was that the beginning for the AIs to be able to do that to you?" he scratched her under her chin. That particular question had been bugging him since he'd seen it happen.</p>
<p>Purrcy shrugged. "Maybe it loosened the fabric up a little, maybe it gave them the idea, and maybe it was a separate action on the other side of the world. I don't know, Michael."</p>
<p>Michael blew out a bit of a breath, but he knew he wouldn't get any better an answer unless he made it a formal request to the Oracle and he didn't want that right now. He wanted the little oracle that was Purrcy.</p>
<p>He moved on to his more important quandary. "I don't want to mess up whatever God's got going on, but I also don't want full-blown war to start. Can you clean up some of the cruft for me so I know which direction to face?"</p>
<p>Purrcy tipped her head towards his scratching fingers so that he was scratching the top of her head as she considered the question, got a data download, and decided what she could and couldn't say. At least he assumed (and hoped) that's what she was doing. "You know that she wants to see what you'll do?"</p>
<p>"Yeah, I do, but to go tripping in the dark's not helpful. You're Adventurer, too. You know what can be swept off the table as worthless crumbs."</p>
<p>Purrcy gave a nod, and the ear closest to his hand flicked a bit without thought and more because he'd brushed against it with the heel of his hand that was still petting her. "I think...that if you let God's plan play out, if you've gotten the right words in before they get there, they'll help keep things settled enough until you can get there. Everyone is looking for the one goal to help them unite, and you <em>know</em> that's the one goal." Purrcy looked at him pointedly.</p>
<p>Michael nodded. "Getting home gets lots of people's attention."</p>
<p>Purrcy nodded back, then twitched a set of whiskers. She put her head down and rubbed it a moment with her leg. "It is also the goal of the devout believer in Christ to have peace. You remember what the Children in Twin Falls were like."</p>
<p>Michael pondered that for a minute, then finally gave a nod. "You think there are enough of them to spread around and keep things cool?"</p>
<p>Purrcy shrugged. "If there are, they will. I don't know them well enough as a people to know for certain how well they can follow through given they're on Theldesida now. I had a few Mormon friends back in grade school and they were nice enough. Perhaps not so given to wild flings like other kids, but still rather normal. Happy family lives for the most part."</p>
<p>Her ear flicked as she lifted her head at that. "Ah, actually, I do remember them saying that families are really important to them." Her whiskers fell a bit. "Which means that they'll be feeling that separation more keenly than most, I would think."</p>
<p>Michael pet her to soothe her. Likely she felt it a bit more deeply for their sakes than they were willing to admit they felt it, but he put it in as a data point to keep in the back of his mind. When it looked like she didn't have anything else to add right at the moment, he asked another follow-on question he'd been gnawing on. "Are we going to run into similar problems in the Bible belt when we get to the east region?"</p>
<p>Purrcy chuckled at him. "What do you think?"</p>
<p>"Probably," he sighed in a bit of resignation. "And the big cities aren't going to be much different from L.A.: Chicago, New York, the like."</p>
<p>She nodded at him solemnly. "Yes. We are a people who can be united, but for the last twenty years or so division has been taught to everyone instead of union. In those places that were already riled up, you'll find greater trouble." She gave his hand that hadn't been petting her a lick as it was resting on his leg near her.</p>
<p>"But at the same time, you'll also find - just like most of them have - that most people in our country really are just nice people trying to get along. The division the press was trying to get everyone to believe existed was just propaganda in the end, really. Shared difficult experiences bring people together in ways they don't always think is going to happen."</p>
<p>Michael looked at Purrcy solemnly for a bit, then sighed a heavy sigh. "I really hope so. We really need this country to work like it's supposed to. They've been so injured by the Overwritten while they were too weak to stand up like they can."</p>
<p>She rose to her feet and rubbed against his chest and his chin. "Michael," she said quietly and kindly, "I know you don't want to be in the limelight or at the top of anything so big, but you know that heroes are important to our nation, too.</p>
<p>"Jefferson and Washington didn't want to be heroes either, but their efforts were so important and the nation needed them as leaders in their time to make us what we are and can be today. Don't step away from what needs to be done in that regard, too."</p>
<p>She'd put her front paws up on his chest and was staring him down, face to face. "You'll have to decide just how far you're willing to take the Code to heart, and you'll have to decide what you can live with and can't, but please, do really seriously consider that part, too."</p>
<p>She paused, tipping her head thoughtfully. "Go back and look at some of the more popular animes that were just like what we're living today. <em>Sword Art Online</em> comes to mind. Like you, the main character just does what he pleases, but in the end he carries all of the adventurers of Earth back home, for similar reasons you, Shiroe, Nyanta, and I are. Why are things like that popular? What's the common thread?"</p>
<p>Michael stared at her for a while, unwilling to answer it, then finally he slumped a little, giving up. "Because there is one man who was willing to stand up and move forward regardless of the costs. In the process he became the one everyone else tied their coat-strings to so they could move forward, too. And because they had, they were willing to do what he said." Michael said the last quietly.</p>
<p>Purrcy nodded solemnly, then sat back on her haunches again. She grew just enough she could pat him on the head with a paw. "You already know and you already know how. You are the highest ranking U.S. officer present on Theldesia."</p>
<p>Michael bowed his head, then made her let him pet her until he kicked Brenner awake so he could fall asleep. He supposed he'd needed his own kick in the pants from her to get over his reluctance to do the job he was supposed to be doing. It still hurt was all. How did a broken officer lead an entire hemisphere of Adventurers?</p>
<p>"Watch S.O.A.," Purrcy purred in his ear just before she left him. "Gain your own strength by watching how others in your place have stood up again."</p>
<p>"Like all those other movies," he murmured back.</p>
<p>She laughed a purry chuckle and groomed his cheek a bit, then disappeared silently. Michael slipped into sleep. He'd watch movies when he had five minutes between chores.</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>The boss cavern of the third level of the Western U.S. Maze of Eternity was suddenly a little more full. Eyes came up and around to see the Intelligence detail. No one was surprised. The current guard had given the sign someone was on their way.</p>
<p>Everyone stopped working and began to head towards Central Command where Gareth and Brenner sat inside the situational maps. Eyes had already been keeping watch on that and the final dots lighting up on the Wasatch front also meant they'd be coming. Everyone sat and watched the final dot with one eye and Gareth with the other.</p>
<p>When his eyes went distant, then blinked, they knew it was time for the meeting to start. The final dot went up yellow and then Michael, Brenner, and P/R were stepping into the room to stand near the two on communication duty. Brenner and P/R moved to sit with the rest, closest to Michael so they could add in comments.</p>
<p>Michael's eyes wove over the squadron, counting and looking for readiness. "Intel, report," he picked them to go first.</p>
<p>BlackJack stood and gave the report as the head of the team. "Diego's run by a city council, but the top player is labeled a military guild. The guildmaster's got the qualities of being top level enlisted, running a tight ship with all the right people in all the right places."</p>
<p>Reed raised an eyebrow. "Experienced, then?"</p>
<p>"Yes, Sir," BlackJack answered.</p>
<p>"Nice," was murmured. It was relieving that there was someone in place high enough to keep things on an even keel.</p>
<p>BlackJack went back to reporting. "Rest of the city only plays nice now because they got proven right in action after action. The military guild forced everyone to go out and earn their keep after the Special before the Fourth of July Special.</p>
<p>"They compromised by allowing the city council to stay democratic with a mix similar to Akiba's council that they put together to make sure it wasn't one-sided on any side. That held them together rather well until the final Special. They couldn't hold out against that, either.</p>
<p>"Going across the border and at Tijuana it was just an issue of the Overwritten. They'd tried to cross over into the States and been attacked by Overwritten every time, so they quit trying. Apparently the U.S. Adventurers never wanted to explore that far from town, but then they didn't get to that point like we did. Even Yamato didn't really go exploring to other Adventurer locations outside of it's own towns much in the first two years."</p>
<p>There were nods to that. Even <em>they'd</em> not been rescued until about then. International travel for investigation had been even after that. "We surmise that Mexico as a whole won't know or care about what happened at the border. Likely Juarez's problem was unique because the two cities were already so close to begin with.</p>
<p>"Heading back up through Arizona and Nevada was like getting to the west coast to begin with - and like those zones are anyway - desert wasteland. The Adventurer cities of Arizona had all migrated to Phoenix's city: Mesa. They put their heads together and figured out how to get water aqueducts to the outlying zones from the Salt River - just enough for the People of the Land to get happy about being the farmers for them.</p>
<p>"A few Adventurers were willing to learn to farm with them, particularly once they figured out how to make real food, but most of them just kept the monsters back. It was a benefit to them that the Adventurer city had been built right along the river.</p>
<p>"It was an additional benefit that there were three safe zones in it." BlackJack's eyes flicked to Michael. "They didn't know why they were safe zones, though, just that those who ran to those locations weren't killed by the July Fourth Special. They managed to get rid of the Overwritten eventually."</p>
<p>A smaller third map went up in front of the gathering. It was of the Phoenix area, then it zoomed in just a little as the boundary of the walls of the Adventurer city Mesa encircled the Mesa suburb of Earth. "Can you throw up the locations of the safe zones while my search is running?" Gareth asked, a bit distantly since he was still watching his modified search spell.</p>
<p>Bowie went to work and at about the same time as he had three green dots up, Gareth had marked out several open green circles, some inside Mesa and some outside. Everyone studied the map. Michael finally murmured. "Make the non-matching church locations pale so they don't muddy the water, but we might still want them just in case." That made it go down to the three in the city. "Mmm...which one is the temple?"</p>
<p>"Did they have one?" Brenner asked.</p>
<p>"The whole range is their home," Michael answered back thoughtfully.</p>
<p>Three open circles on the map went blue and everyone blinked. One was in Mesa around the central green dot of safety, one was southeast of the city and the other quite a ways northwest, but still in Phoenix. "That's rather a lot, then," Brenner admitted.</p>
<p>"I suspect if they didn't know why, the group that location belongs to wasn't talking," Reed commented shrewdly.</p>
<p>"Likely," Michael agreed, still in his thoughtful murmur. He tended to do that when he was data gathering information that he found very interesting. One of the other two was a mosque and the other the largest Christian church within the walls of Mesa. His eyes finally returned to the Intelligence detail. "Did they send anyone north?"</p>
<p>Bowie shook his head. "They holed in. There's likely too much desert between locations, and as we said, they'd not gotten to the second full year of being here. Really, the other two cities had only just arrived about six months-ish before that Special, having been hit rather hard by the first two Specials. They were small enough in comparison to Phoenix they decided greater numbers and greater strength was better than not."</p>
<p>Michael gave a nod and BlackJack picked the report back up. "It wasn't all fun and games and easy times there. Each influx - they weren't simultaneous - made them have to start all over again, although not right away. It was more like what happened when the PK guild showed up. New people were just tourists and visitors until everyone got comfortable. Then fireworks popped for a while until things reached the new normal.</p>
<p>"They weren't really comfortable enough for normal when the final Special came through, but they did try to work together on it since they'd already fought the first two separately. Likely if we can get our words in quickly after everyone's resurrected again they'll settle to a peaceful resolution of some kind. Being at loose ends was probably the hardest part, like for all of us." BlackJack paused for comments and questions. Michael gave a nod of understanding and waited.</p>
<p>No one else commented, so BlackJack moved on. "Serpiente was the only working Adventurer city in all of Nevada, but then it was always that way since the creators of <em>Elder Tales</em> wanted the large multi-dungeon zone north of it."</p>
<p>Even the casino district was a dungeon. That had been one of the worries of the squad as far as Serpiente had gone, after they'd seen the coast. They'd worried the city was too close to monsters from the beginning and the Adventurers had just given up early.</p>
<p>"They had the usual rocky beginning, but no one who tried to take down the security system, so they survived okay, if sometimes violently outside the city, until the Special. That almost did them in."</p>
<p>BlackJack shifted and crossed his arms. "The best fighters were keeping the boss occupied as best they could. The altruistic guild decided that if they could get people out of the city, perhaps the Special would be contained directly around it, and they might be able to save the non-combatants that way.</p>
<p>"From up on the wall on the back side - you know Serpiente's built just at the foot of Frenchman Mountain," he got nods as they'd played a lot from there, too, since the Nevada dungeon zone let them rocket up in levels, "- well, one of the watchmen over the escaping Adventurers and People of the Land was up on the back wall.</p>
<p>"He looked up the mountain, then called on the full chat and said there was a pillar of light coming from up above the city. The Mormons in the group immediately recognized the location and told everyone it was a place of safety, so that's where everyone went.</p>
<p>"They had enough arms protecting the backs of the one's fleeing for safety that they managed to take down the boss before it made it up the mountain. It was a pretty bad loss, though, with the mix being all wrong ever since then. With not enough fighters they've had it hard. That's why they're sending the exploratory up north. They want to know if they should all head up into Utah, or if they should head south to Phoenix.</p>
<p>"They figure the Utah trip takes longer so they were going to wait until that group reported back in before sending out the south exploratory. Of course, the Mormons wanted to head into Utah anyway regardless, but most of them are the last remaining fighters.</p>
<p>"They argued long enough to get the concession they can go up to the Salt Lake area and see if any of their compatriots up there know just why we've all been brought here to Theldesia. They seem to think they'll actually get an answer from that trip."</p>
<p>There were blinks, and then slight chuckles from the other exploration team. "Well, they sort of did from us," Michael admitted. "We couldn't convince them to not go on up to Salt Lake, though. St. George added to their number and off they went. We couldn't walk simultaneously like we had before up in Idaho, but we did time it so we got to have our say before they got into the next city."</p>
<p>Michael paused to make sure BlackJack was done. BlackJack reviewed what he'd already said. "Do you want the Wasatch report now or later?" he asked. Michael shook his head. BlackJack shrugged and sat down. It had been sufficient to that point and no one had comments or questions.</p>
<p>Michael continued with his report. He gave the summary of their walk through the northwest until switching with the Intelligence detail, then continued from where he'd left off from before. "St. George was green and good to go, like the Idaho Falls/Pocatello group. They'd also found refuge in places of safety, including their temple and one Jewish synagogue that included a large park-like setting around it, so could hold rather a lot of Adventurers.</p>
<p>"Cedar City was holding on as a last outpost, with only the rugged left, rather like Susukino, actually. Most of the...nice folks had gone south to St. George and most of the not-so-nice folks went up from St. George to Cedar City. Only one group managed to survive the Special, and you can guess who it might have been.</p>
<p>"Apparently they were a set who'd thought they could live it up here in a new place where no one knew their names, and when they suddenly found real protection, they found real religion. They were a pretty humble bunch when we got there. I expect them all to go on up to Salt Lake with the rest who are headed up there. We gave our info first and left without finding out. They were willing to listen, but weren't willing to act on it just then. We'll see how that goes."</p>
<p>Michael paused, his head tipped a little. "Though...they've all given me that response, actually. For some reason, they all want to get word from Salt Lake before they'll commit to helping with the quests."</p>
<p>"Are they going to be stubborn?" Reed asked, an eyebrow raised.</p>
<p>"Passive aggressive?" MasterChiefS7 frowned.</p>
<p>Michael gave a small snort. "Hadn't thought of that, but it does have that kind of feel. Really, though, it felt more like they wanted to have full information before they made a decision. They caught on to the why pretty quick, and weren't afraid of any of the quests.</p>
<p>"...They're rather quietly independent, I think. Kind of like they're already a guild and they want to check in at the guild headquarters before making large national and international moves and decisions." That got nods of understanding. Guilds gathering together in one location had happened all over Theldesia. This was similar, if a little different.</p>
<p>"There isn't anything from there until the Wasatch front as far as Adventurer cities go," Michael continued. "The wild zones are really rugged and hard. Even if the southern migration group doesn't want to participate on their own in our quests, they're going to go through all those national treasures along the way. ...At least they'll have the know-how to stay alive, now. It won't hurt to have those zones cleaned out early, although they'll stick to the road."</p>
<p>"Won't the Overwritten go hunting them?" asked Life Support.</p>
<p>"Probably," Michael agreed, still not disturbed by it. "They'll go up in levels, or they'll die and we'll resurrect them."</p>
<p>Gareth raised his hand. "Before you get to the Wasatch front, I just wanted to add a bit of data that doesn't show up on maps." He got the go-ahead nod. "That area of Utah contains roughly eighty percent of the entire state's population. Any Adventurers of Utah from outside that zone are very small in population in comparison to what's there."</p>
<p>All six from the exploratory teams nodded agreement. "And thus why it exploded into chaos," BlackJack said grimly. Michael sat down and BlackJack stood back up. Gareth moved the map of the Wasatch front to be front and center to the squad, and where BlackJack could reach it. A few pulled out canteens and swallowed down water as they all settled in to hear the details about that chaos.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Starting the Cleaning Up</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Shiroe was sitting up late as usual after the double dinner date. He'd sent Akatsuki on to bed, wanting to sit up and work on how to properly fit Sergiad's request through the head tutor into the picture of things. He had to agree that it might be important for there to be a balance between Westlande and Eastal. He just wished there was a way to bind the two political powers so they couldn't let it get out of hand.</p>
<p>Really, bringing the Adventurers of Earth to Theldesia had added so much chaos to the planet, he really wasn't sure it had been all that wise. This was one of those things that pointed to the "why" the AIs wanted Adventurers to remain on the planet. They'd brought the chaos of creation, curiosity, exploration, and experimentation with them and it was going to cause just as much chaos now with or without them.</p>
<p>If the only balance on the planet really was the Adventurers... Well, somehow that still seemed like a fabricated statement he was still gathering evidence for and against.</p>
<p>Shiroe was just wrapping up his arguments for and against having the People of the Land learn research methods when he got a chat request. It wasn't the best time, but it was okay. He accepted the chat. "Hi, Michael. I do hope things are better this time?"</p>
<p>Michael gave a soft snort. "Am I ever going to contact you just to have a light chat over tea? I'm not thinking it's likely."</p>
<p>"What is it this time?" Shiroe asked kindly. He already knew what it was to want to have others who understood the weight and stress of trying to get them all home.</p>
<p>"We've finished the recon. Indicus' research on keeping Adventurers here and finding the way to cut the lines in the Adventurer Tree of Life was watched by the Navigators. They replicated it in the Fourth of July Special Overwritten they sent down. That's what killed all the Adventurers. Every boss in every Adventurer city for the western region." Shiroe barely blinked, finding that very hard to believe.</p>
<p>"It's not all that much better in the central mountain zones than on the coast. We're going to have chaos in the central region, and worse, it's chaos already. Political disunity on the coast and religious persecution in the mountain range are going to make it really hard to repair the tree."</p>
<p>Michael sighed and there was a slight pause. "There is a bit of good news, though. They're not <em>all</em> dead, and there are some that were playing nice, or at least nice enough, and they're willing to help."</p>
<p>Still, there was a frown in his voice as he said, "There's one group that found a way to keep from dying, and their God protected them and whomever would escape to purified locations. They learned about purification early, Shiroe," his voice was warning and Shiroe's heart rate increased a bit. He pressed his lips together, and his fingertips as well, to keep from worrying too much.</p>
<p>"I've gone back and done the calculations," Michael said grimly. "Akiba's Higan Special wasn't the First purification of Theldesian matter. The purifications of the Fourth of July Special were. The World AI already knew more than a year before Akiba figured it out. The Adventurers of the U.S. were all locked down a year before it sent Purrcy to your tree. The Wasatch front has been in siege for almost two years already."</p>
<p>Quietly, Michael questioned in a lost voice, "Are we really so dangerous to this world, that it wouldn't let them out again until the very end?"</p>
<p>Shiroe had a different question. If Izanagi had already known that long before, why had it declared Akiba was a beta test zone because of that? Was all of the U.S. also beta test? Or had the World AI been lying? He had to harden his heart against the anger that wanted to burst out of him again at that thought. He was still upset Akiba had been used that way so terribly.</p>
<p>He breathed a bit to calm down. He would have to think about that in depth later - although he didn't really want to since it was in the past and he really didn't need more not-ulcers over it.</p>
<p>"I can't say, Michael," he finally answered quietly. "The Navigators were interfering in ways the AIs didn't like from the beginning. That's one of the reasons we were brought here, remember?"</p>
<p>Michael took a deep breath. "Well, that's true. And it's also true that if any of the Adventurers from the States had understood who they were, they would have worked the hardest to take them down. They still will. While we haven't got a lot of people just yet who are willing to go out and fight, we do know that to a man they hate the Overwritten for what was done to them. Those who take on that quest won't let any remain."</p>
<p>Shiroe nodded. "And that very motivation can be used."</p>
<p>"I know," Michael agreed softly. "And we will. ...It is nice to have allies in place." There was silence for a bit, then he continued on still softly, "I'm going to have to sit in your seat here on this side. Purrcy put it rather plainly. Everyone needs to have someone to follow, even if they are independent. We unify under leaders just like anyone, and regional leaders are preferable.</p>
<p>"If you've still got any working reasons for why you shouldn't have to be the head man on all this, I'm all ears. I'd like to make sure I've thought of all my loopholes."</p>
<p>Shiroe grimaced. "As in, you don't want to be emperor."</p>
<p>"In one," Michael agreed.</p>
<p>Shiroe nodded to himself. That much was easy, having already thought it through a lot. He spent the next while walking Michael through all of the points he'd considered, then helped with the few that would be different given it was a different culture. Michael would have it slightly easier, perhaps, but Shiroe didn't envy him. They both already understood all too well the burden that kind of leadership was.</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>Michael really didn't know whether to have his men finish out the Maze first, or head over to Utah first. It was hard to consider it exactly the same as the west coast, since there were still living Adventurers on the Wasatch front, where there weren't any on the west coast.</p>
<p>That made one want to jump up and run to their rescue. They'd debated it rather long already, and the final sum had finally been that it was his decision to make. It was, but that didn't mean he wasn't unsure in this case.</p>
<p>Really, if he went on what the far-flung field monitor had told him, they'd finish the maze first and give their spiel, <em>then</em> they'd go and see what had happened in central Utah. Except it wasn't quite so cut and dried. They also needed to do all the little details in between - like figure out how to have surviving Cathedrals on the west coast so that the whole thing didn't explode with gas on fire by having coast Adventurers resurrecting in the heated mountain zones.</p>
<p>If Michael had been in his human body on Earth, he'd have a rather large headache right now. As it was, he was sure his head was buzzing with the stress of trying to wrap his brain around all the details that couldn't be lost or forgotten. Even talking to Shiroe hadn't helped with the issue, although it had helped him get the complaining out and to get a sympathetic ear, now that he was filling Shiroe's shoes even more here on this side of the planet.</p>
<p>He finally gave up and headed for the micro level of the code realm and a secure hole. He needed writing and breathing space, and to let his body rest. He still wasn't really recovered from all the time hopping. He got all the details written out on a to-do list and stared at it for a while.</p>
<p>In the end, he decided to watch a few movies first. R&amp;R did more for helping the brain wanting to stress out than anything else ever did - even if it did make him uncomfortable with that other half of what Purrcy had told him to do before he made his decision on what the squad was going to do.</p>
<p>Shouldering the burden of leadership at that level had really never been on his radar - ever - even with being a career officer in the Navy. It wasn't settling well on his shoulders. Shiroe had not been sympathetic at all when that came up. He'd also been forced to stand in it - by the same person even. The line of reasoning to keep holes closed <em>had</em> been very helpful, though.</p>
<p>Michael sighed and cued up the first movie, wishing for a bag of microwave popcorn to go with it.</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>Michael finally returned to his waiting men. Soberly he handed out his orders. "Intel, you'll go talk to Diego. Ask the head military man there to accept me as his superior officer. Give him my rank and name. If he asks for it give him your rank, name, and service numbers. He's to let all of his men know what the new chain of command is going to be.</p>
<p>"We can't save them from their fate, but he can get the city ready for rebirth. Tell him the quests so he can believe in what we're doing. Tell him all of this the morning before the Fourth of July Special begins so that he has time to carry out his orders but we're obviously unable to show up to finish it out at the time. Maybe they'll forgive us the two years in between, but we aren't going to answer for it.</p>
<p>"He's to figure out how to protect their Cathedral from the nuclear holocaust coming his way. If you don't think he and his men can do it, jointly put the strongest shielding box around it you can. It might be enough."</p>
<p>When he got nods of understanding, he added, "You're to go recruit the conservative guild the same way. If we've got their buy-in prior to their deaths, we'll more likely have their support when they resurrect and we repeat it. Just remember when you're recruiting this time that we haven't killed the nest at the time you'll be in. While you can tell them we'll be coming for repairs at the Tree of Life, you'd best watch exactly what you say there or they'll hate us for coming too late.</p>
<p>"We'll hear from them which of the quests they'll take on after the resurrection. Feel free to friend both guildmasters so that we can talk to them directly once they're back up on their feet."</p>
<p>Michael took a deep breath as he looked to the next team. "Maintenance, pick three for me to take to Jose. I'll drop them off at calm and pick them up before the second Special hits. They need to get them leapfrogged as far as possible in that time. Charlie, give them your time-communication spell before we go.</p>
<p>"The rest of you work on getting us resupplied - including pulling out the <em>Oki Watarimono</em> if necessary. We'll head into the last level of the maze when we all get back."</p>
<p>Michael turned to Communications. "I'll work with you, P/R, and the Play Nice team in between dropping off and picking up the Maintenance team so that we've got the post-boss stuff worked out." Everyone rolled up their shirt-sleeves and got to work.</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>Stiletto paused outside Diego, not time walking them just yet. "Do you think...it would work okay if we just protected the altar? The Cathedral is pretty big so that's a massive spell to keep the whole thing protected."</p>
<p>His partners considered that, then nodded. "That could work. We've all got that spell easy. If all three of us built it up and just put it around the area of the altar, it might just work," Bowie agreed.</p>
<p>"We'll try that then, with the purification intent included," BlackJack agreed, "after we give the guildmaster his orders." The other two gave nods and they disappeared through time.</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>Michael took Life Support, Electrical, and QA to Jose where they were quick to integrate themselves into life in the university environment. On Earth it wasn't a university - it was Silicon Valley, with all the technologists, programmers, and computer engineers.</p>
<p>They weren't surprised when the World AI limited how far the U.S. Adventurers could take Hacker. It didn't decrease the Eagle's limit from what they'd already earned, but it did set some very firm boundary conditions on them. Still, they quickly proved their high level of understanding and were placed high in the university structure. That meant they got to work on their "pet project" and have Hackers under them to see it happened.</p>
<p>When it was nearing time for them to be picked up, they passed their batons on to the next brightest in the group and declared they were going out on vacation, having spent almost a year on hard research already. It was a few days before Michael found them out in the zones letting off steam and relaxing with fishing poles by the stream. They were due the vacation, they felt, and Michael turned a blind eye to it, particularly when they told him what their final orders had been.</p>
<p>It was nice to be back with the rest of the team after that - and to be able to report that their skill upgrades had leveled up to Classes while they were gone.</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>"Right then, in we go," Michael said with calm authority. He reached out and opened the door to the fourth level of the Maze of Eternity. It was the hell of the third level all rolled into one room, room after room after room. They were all glad they'd had some level of break before enduring it. They really were all done with the grinding on Overwritten this stupid-hard to kill because of their sheer numbers.</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>BillyBoy, who wished he'd used his real name instead of a screen name now that he was on Theldesia for real, climbed the last of the toe of Willard Mountain and looked out over the Salt Lake valley from where the second prophet of his church, Brigham Young, had declared that this was the place the young persecuted church would settle to peacefully worship as they saw fit. As his hopeful eyes took in the valley, BillyBoy suddenly felt almost defeated.</p>
<p>This wasn't the Salt Lake valley that had been made to "blossom as the rose". Rather it was the complete opposite, looking like it had seen three years of war. Quietly the rest of his party gathered around him as his eyes took in landmarks and his mind tried to understand what had happened here.</p>
<p>"What are we supposed to do now?" Hue asked in dismay. The greater part of the group that had met just south of Pocatello and followed highway 89 into Logan, and the few Logan residents who had joined them, all arrived up on the mountain ridge top with them and the muttering was rather loud.</p>
<p>They'd had to fight Overwritten the whole way down the road (after winning their freedom yet again one more time from the Boise/Twin Falls group), particularly as they'd passed through the Grand Teton dungeon zone. They hadn't arrived in Logan whole. They'd lost a fifth of their number along the way. Logan had made up those numbers, but looking at the valley in front of them it looked like they might not be enough.</p>
<p>BillyBoy turned around to look at the Adventurers behind him. "Sit down for a bit, everyone," he said calmly on the party chat. They'd formed companies of ten parties of six and set captains over the companies. "We'll have a meeting of the quorum presidencies before we head down into that."</p>
<p>The three quorum presidencies of Pocatello walked over to stand with the ones from Idaho Falls. The eighteen young men stood together solemnly. They'd already had to deal with a lot more than most people their ages, although they knew from their lessons of history it was just as hard for the pioneers that had built America.</p>
<p>"Brad, will you please offer a prayer for guidance before we get to thinking about this mess?" BillyBoy asked.</p>
<p>Brad gave a nod and they all folded their arms and bowed their heads. "Heavenly Father, this is a big mess, and a lot of worry. You've asked us to come here, and I guess it was to help them out because they're in a bad way. But where should we begin? What do you want us to do to help them?</p>
<p>"Please bless us with the inspiration we need to move forward. And please bless us with protection from the Overwritten so we can help them. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen." The others standing with him echoed his amen, and there was a collective intake of breath.</p>
<p>There was a pause as they settled to feeling the Spirit of God, waiting to feel the inspiration they were seeking. Startled, they all looked up at the center of their circle. They'd not expected to hear purring at all. Slowly into their view came a tortoiseshell felinoid wearing a simple modest dress and leggings.</p>
<p>With almost a rueful laugh in her voice she said, "Really. While God's used me before now, I really didn't expect him to send me to answer you, too." She sighed just a bit, "But then, that's my role on this planet, I suppose."</p>
<p>She was already facing BillyBoy and she smiled at him as he stared back at her wide-eyed. "My name is Purrcy. I'm a bit of an enigma these days. This planet has decided to give me the role of Caretaker, but for Adventurers on a world-level quest I'm the forward monitor.</p>
<p>"Thus, I have the general answers you're looking for and am the right person to be telling them to you. So I suppose even God is going to use me in my place to answer you, if you'll hear it?"</p>
<p>BillyBoy blinked, took a breath since he'd forgotten to, then glanced around at his fellows. "Are you the one from the second message from Shiroe that was shown to us?" Hue, the Teacher's quorum president from Idaho Falls asked.</p>
<p>"Yes, that was me who signed the document after he did," Purrcy answered politely. (P/R had modified that part of the video on the second seed, too.) That helped them calm down just a little.</p>
<p>"We'll listen to what you have to say," BillyBoy answered her question. God answered prayers in lots of different ways and if she had information, they wanted to hear it.</p>
<p>"Can I ask a few questions first?" Purrcy asked. He gave a nod. "Your temples...were they already present when you arrived at the catastrophe? Or did they show up later?"</p>
<p>BillyBoy shifted a bit. "I'm not really sure, actually. We knew where they were supposed to be, of course. That's where we all showed up for one reason or another, mostly to find comfort, I suppose.</p>
<p>"We rebuilt the stake center and started meeting there regularly to worship. I think it was after the first Special that we walked onto the grounds and were surprised to see the temple, but it had always felt like it was there." The others nodded agreement.</p>
<p>"Do any of you know about the other places of worship from other faiths? Was it the same?" Purrcy asked.</p>
<p>Matthew, the Elder's quorum president from Pocatello answered that one. "We had a devout Christian church group that met on their old church grounds in the city and it was about the same for them. Well, not that a building showed up. They had to rebuild like we did, but when it came time for the Fourth of July Special, their land was also protected ground."</p>
<p>Purrcy nodded. "That answers my question then. When the programmers of <em>Elder Tales</em> put together the theology of Theldesia, it was a grand mixture of beliefs. When Theldesia became real - and we still don't know how it was born into existence - all of that became part of the flavor text of the world.</p>
<p>"Just like the flavor text of cursed weapons became real after we were brought here, so did the religious flavor text. The places that received real worship then became real places of consecrated land.</p>
<p>"That is heartening, that such a blessing was bestowed upon us. It has saved so many of you where it could have left this whole region, and perhaps even the whole nation a wasteland. Hold to what you understand of your faith and support the faith of others, even if it's different. That will guide you as you go into this next sub-quest. It has real effects on this planet now."</p>
<p>BillyBoy actually felt a bit hopeful at that. They'd already been living it, as best they could given how hard they'd been made to doubt everything by that one event called the catastrophe. If faith still had real effects (and they'd rather been learning that it did), they had a path to walk forward on.</p>
<p>Purrcy wasn't done, though. She gestured at the valley behind him. "Go into the valley and free each group under siege. Learn from them why this happened. Help them come to some level of agreement that we must all live in peace together in order to get home."</p>
<p>Purrcy pointed to the far south. "Coming from Serpiente, St. George, and Cedar are another group of you. They're having to come through the National Treasures, however, and every Overwritten who's been living in them comes out and attacks them. They'll have that passageway cleaned of Overwritten by the time they arrive here.</p>
<p>"I don't know if they'll come to save you at the final place you need to rescue, or if you'll go on to rescue them from final slaughter. Please collect them and bring them back into the valley with you. They're trying hard but aren't as experienced as you, until this practice they're getting.</p>
<p>"The Eagles have just begun the final level of the Maze of Eternity. When the repairs to the Tree of Life are completed <em>all</em> of the Adventurers of the region will be returned. You'll need to have this valley repaired by then so that the returning Adventurers don't begin the flames all over again.</p>
<p>"HackerM1 will do what he can to teach them all, but the Eagles won't arrive here until about three days after the resurrection, since they'll have to travel overland this time. Where shall I tell them to meet you?"</p>
<p>"Temple Square," BillyBoy answered immediately.</p>
<p>Purrcy blinked at him as if questioning his sanity, but he held firm. She gave a nod. "Please know that if you die in this quest it isn't forever, and it won't even be for the years most of the rest have been waiting. It will, however, likely be because God decided it." The last was said very dryly.</p>
<p>"I'm not really quite sure what He's doing in this place that He has a stronghold in, nor do I understand why He's allowed all of us to be brought here to Theldesia. I do know that He knows we are here and He on occasion uses me like this.</p>
<p>"If it helps you to understand, Shiroe is like Moses, the leader tasked with bringing us all home as if we were the Israelites wandering in the wilderness. HackerM1 is like Aaron, Moses' brother, and I am similar to Miriam, the two of us supporting Shiroe both at home in Yamato and here where he's sent us. The Eagles are my favorite American sons...but you all are probably my second favorites." She gave one more smile, then disappeared.</p>
<p>BillyBoy paused to feel the inspiration they'd been looking for from the Spirit of God, then turned to look at Hue. Hue almost had tears in his eyes. The Teacher's quorum had been having an activity at the time of the catastrophe. It was common practice for the whole quorum to participate in activities a single member enjoyed doing and it had been Hue's turn.</p>
<p>His whole quorum, BillyBoy's first councilor who had been their teacher, and BillyBoy himself because he enjoyed playing <em>Elder Tales</em> on occasion, had all been on and had been brought here. At the beginning, Hue had been torn by guilt that it had been his fault they'd all ended up here, and when the others had been angry, they'd blamed it on him, too. BillyBoy and Hue's teacher had worked hard to help everyone forgive, but Hue had still found it difficult to forgive himself.</p>
<p>"Hue, I still say that God does things for reasons we can't understand. He's brought us here to the valley to do something that others can't do for themselves, like he has before, and like he probably will again.</p>
<p>"It's the Teacher's responsibility to exhort and admonish the people to live the word of God. We'll rely on you and Patrick to head that part once we've freed each zone out there." Hue swallowed, and Patrick did, too. But they nodded. They each had their councilors to help plan it and could work together on it.</p>
<p>BillyBoy turned and looked out over the valley and pointed to the closest place they could see the pillar of smoke rising from that was surrounded by Overwritten of all sizes. "That isn't a temple site. We'll go there first since we should go in order from closest to farthest in order to complete the whole valley the fastest."</p>
<p>He pointed to the next location farther south and up on the mountain. "That one is the Bountiful temple, but there should have been one here in Ogden. They're not all up and working. We'll want to find out why when we get to that one."</p>
<p>Matthew had been looking down at Ogden's Adventurer city. "That was placed to keep anything from coming into the valley. If they'd received reinforcements, maybe it wouldn't have fallen."</p>
<p>Brad shook his head and pointed out towards the destroyed Adventurer city of Salt Lake. "That final Special would have appeared over the city, like it did over the rest of us. If they took out Salt Lake before the reinforcements from Ogden and the south could arrive it would have been devastating."</p>
<p>With sober feelings, they could only agree. BillyBoy shrugged. "We'll have to learn it as we go." He blinked as he looked at Salt Lake, then asked quietly, "But why did Miss Purrcy look at me as if I was crazy to say we would meet them at Temple Square? What's happened there?"</p>
<p>"Surely nothing happened to the Salt Lake temple?" Hue almost pleaded.</p>
<p>BillyBoy looked back at him. "I don't know, Hue. I just don't know what this place is going to throw at us any more. We can only walk forward with faith." He looked around the group and picked Patrick to say a prayer of gratitude for them so they could pass on the orders to the rest of the group and get moving forward again. They had work to do.</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>If this had been Earth, every Adventurer would be dripping in sweat and barely able to stand. They were nearly the latter. They couldn't do the former, so they'd poured water on themselves anyway. The Overwritten were all gone, finally, and Hill Air Force Base was finally freed. They'd been rather amazed to discover that had become sacred ground and were anxiously looking forward to learning why. They could wait a bit, though. They needed to breathe.</p>
<p>"Report losses as soon as you've counted," BillyBoy asked the captains. They would report it to the Priest's quorums, who would report it to him. The Idaho group was surrounding the base, but it looked like Matthew's party was headed over to his position, by the front gate.</p>
<p>A drink was handed down to BillyBoy. He looked up to see two braids under a cowboy hat. "Hey, Phillip. Thanks. ...And thanks for coming with us."</p>
<p>The female Phillip shrugged. "Better than staying back there to be teased all the time. A bit lonely to be one of five guards for the city and the only one not welcome. At least coming with the lot of you I've been busy."</p>
<p>BillyBoy laughed at that as he took the cup away from his lips, appreciating the HP up addition to the cup of juice. "No lack of busy here, no," he agreed.</p>
<p>They'd been classmates back in high school, although not close friends. It had been a bit of a surprise to learn they both enjoyed gaming when BillyBoy had gotten back home from his mission to Italy. They'd played together a time or two.</p>
<p>Phillip had been terribly embarrassed to come find BillyBoy after the catastrophe, even though BillyBoy had known he was present since they were on each other's friend lists. It had been a surprise to see a female avatar instead of male, but BillyBoy had shrugged. "Looks nice. Pain in the butt, I'm sure." Phillip had laughed nervously, and agreed, and that had been that.</p>
<p>There was a creak and a groaning as the gate that had been built into the wall around the base started to open. BillyBoy got to his feet. "You're welcome to stick around, Phillip," he invited. "We don't know what we're getting ourselves into, really. Moral support would be welcome."</p>
<p>"Still the reluctant leader," Phillip teased.</p>
<p>BillyBoy shrugged, uncomfortable. He'd been thrust into leadership roles since he was a Deacon, even on his mission when he'd been made a zone leader. One didn't say no to God, though, so he'd kept on struggling through them, learning what he could about leading people and mostly stumbling all over himself and leaning on God an awful lot.</p>
<p>The usual complement of support gathered around BillyBoy. It wasn't all his councilors, either - mostly they helped with administration. The other presidents did show up, though, since they each had different roles they filled for the group, and they'd need to be in the know.</p>
<p>Out of the gate walked a group of seven people, one Guardian in the lead. BillyBoy sighed to himself and prayed a quick prayer in his heart for courage and inspiration, yet again. It was always intimidating to be met by Guardians first, particularly ones that walked with that kind of confidence.</p>
<p>The Guardian, named Hannibal according to his status screen, folded his arms as he arrived in front of BillyBoy's grouping. He scanned them all, but as usual BillyBoy had been unconsciously placed center front so he got the main eyeing. He stayed as casual and relaxed on the exterior as possible. "We saw the lot of you arrive up on the mountain. Where are you from?" Hannibal asked.</p>
<p>"Idaho," BillyBoy answered back. "Finally cleaned up the Overwritten up there enough we could come south and see what's been happening down here. ...And it doesn't look good," he chanced adding.</p>
<p>Hannibal scanned the grouping again. "Why's a miniature Bard the leader of this much a ragtag group?"</p>
<p>BillyBoy shrugged. "Like most places, when the Fourth of July Special hit, the heavies took the brunt of the damage. We found a place to escape to - like you all did," his eyes scanned their group back, "while they took up rear-guard. We left most of the heavies home to guard the cities. We've all plenty of experience against Overwritten, though, so it's not a big deal."</p>
<p>He got glared at, although he'd only told the truth. Of course, if they'd been hiding out against the Overwritten this long without taking them down themselves, perhaps it had sounded prideful. BillyBoy sighed to himself. He usually thought of such things a little too late. "How were you able to survive?" he asked to turn the conversation away from him and the party from Idaho.</p>
<p>"The chaplain and the devout prayed and the rest of us didn't want them coming in, so did our part. That kept them out, best we can tell," Hannibal answered. His eyes narrowed a bit. "Are you Mormon boys?"</p>
<p>"Some of us," BillyBoy answered, not wanting any repeats, but not wanting to lie either.</p>
<p>"We'll take the ones of you not inside to exchange stories, but they have to stay outside."</p>
<p>Eyebrows went up at that. "Why, if I may ask?"</p>
<p>"Too many of them turned traitor to the rest of us and to their own professed faith for us to trust them anymore," Hannibal growled as the people behind him scowled. "We tried to get everyone to work together to find a way back to Earth, if it was possible, and a group of them decided to lord it over the rest of us, refusing to be helpful at all unless everyone followed what they said to do."</p>
<p>"Oh," BillyBoy said, a bit deflated. "Well, I'm sorry for that, but we don't work that way - those of us in this group. And really, we'd really rather we all did work together to find a way home."</p>
<p>"If you're one of them, why should we believe you?" was thrown back in his face.</p>
<p>BillyBoy sighed, but a hand fell on his shoulder. Phillip stepped up in front to stand next to BillyBoy. "Excuse me, but I'm not one, and I can assure you that he is telling the truth. Everybody's got faults, and everyone's got pride in them. Coming here pulled a lot of the real person out for all of us.</p>
<p>"This is a good bunch of guys trying hard, and we didn't come just to die for you. We've been tasked to tell all of the Adventurers you've got in there some words, then we'll move on. You don't have to feed us or anything."</p>
<p>Phillip got stared at until he blushed and shook his head. "Not a girl."</p>
<p>That got the people on the other side to relax slightly, although his hand on BillyBoy's shoulder (forgotten) tightened in his own nervousness to admit it.</p>
<p>"Who gave you the task?" Hannibal's eyes narrowed.</p>
<p>BillyBoy answered, "Some members of a guild called the VFA-115 Eagles. They were given the quest by Shiroe of the Debauchery Tea Party, who's been working to get us all home." That got the attention of everyone in front of him. Hannibal glanced at one of the men beside him, who gave a faint nod, then seemed to disappear into thought.</p>
<p>BillyBoy pulled out one of the message seeds that had been left with him and tossed it across the gap to Hannibal. The Guardian rather instinctively caught it, then looked at it and his eyebrows raised again. He tapped the top of it, making it obvious he'd heard the first one.</p>
<p>When it ended playing, the man he'd given orders to answered. "Off the U.S.S. <em>Ronald Reagan</em>, stationed in Japan. Navy air squadron." That lifted the air in a way BillyBoy hadn't expected at all.</p>
<p>"How many are in the guild?" Hannibal asked.</p>
<p>BillyBoy shook his head. "We got a visit from three of them, but we won't meet them all until they're done fixing the Tree of Life in the Maze of Eternity. They'll meet us at Temple Square three days after everyone resurrects again, but they want to come to peace, not war, so they can get us all working on the quests we've got to complete in order to go home. We'll let you know what those are, if you'll call everyone out to hear them. Then we'll be moving on to the next holdout."</p>
<p>Phillip shifted. "They said they were a raid's worth, but not more."</p>
<p>The assistant to Hannibal raised his eyebrows. "They're a full maximum squadron, and that would make a raid's worth."</p>
<p>"They <em>all</em> got brought over?" Fingers were quickly counting in that crowd.</p>
<p>"As I say, I don't know," BillyBoy answered apologetically.</p>
<p>One whispered into Hannibal's ear and he almost relaxed, catching himself in time. He semi-glared at BillyBoy, then said, "Fine, we'll listen to what you have to say, and we'll be there to hear what they have to say, too."</p>
<p>"Okay," BillyBoy answered easily. That was all they wanted anyway.</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>Hannibal sent a small party from Hill Air Force Base with the group from Idaho, making up what they'd lost yet again. They claimed they were going as an observation group. Idaho didn't expect them to do much in the way of real fighting. The rest of the Adventurers in the base were going to go harvesting. They were mostly starving, having eaten out their lists and rations about a year before.</p>
<p>BillyBoy had caught sight of a few Wraiths hanging out in the courtyard, and a few up on the wall with the other listening Adventurers and he hoped it wasn't what he thought it might be. He didn't ask and they didn't tell, so he let it go. He did pause to say a prayer for those poor souls before they completely walked away from the tall walls around the base that had been built up even higher by the Adventurers caught behind it.</p>
<p>As the party from Idaho reached the Bountiful temple area, panting a bit from having to walk up the side of the mountain, it wasn't looking pretty there, either. They paused just far enough away to get a breather in. What should have been a wide pretty lawn was rather cut off. The Overwritten were almost to the walls of the temple.</p>
<p>BillyBoy waved at Matthew, who immediately said a prayer of protection and strength on their group. They all lit up with the faint glow of the blessed and purified, now that it was evening and nearing twilight. As long as they held to the faith they would be protected by the prayer, they could survive without dying. They would have to get back away from the fighting to heal up with potion or time if they got too low level, still. They only really died if the enemy got in a surprise hit that took them critical.</p>
<p>As they recovered from the walk, they spread out in their parties and companies until they had the Overwritten surrounded. On BillyBoy's whispered command, they attacked at once, taking on the Overwritten like Adventurers should, whittling down their HP, backing off to heal up, then getting back into the game. They just couldn't come back from death any more, so they had to remember that one intermediate step.</p>
<p>They also protected the one of each party that prayed to cast out the Overwritten out of the monster being attacked at the moment. Then the monsters were a lot easier to kill and the Overwritten gone altogether so could be ignored. That made the whole thing go a lot smoother.</p>
<p>The pattern was repeated for every monster: pause for the blessing and the Overwritten to disappear, then sudden attack of six on one to take down the monster. It was a simple pattern - if the Overwritten held still like good monsters and let it happen. Since they didn't always, that lent a bit of excitement to the pattern overall.</p>
<p>When the last monster went up in bubbles, and all parties had reported in, they all sank down to rest again. The leader of the party from Hill Air Force Base walked over to BillyBoy. "What's that you all did at the beginning of each fight?"</p>
<p>"The men who came to talk to us called it 'Purification'. We're casting the spirit of the Overwritten out of the monster it's been written over. Each monster generally is a lot easier to kill, then."</p>
<p>It looked like he might not be believed, but it was the truth. When the leader turned back to his party to talk with them quietly, BillyBoy didn't bother to worry much. Instead, he was worried about what was in front of him. "Is anyone left alive?" Hue whispered to him.</p>
<p>"I don't know," BillyBoy answered back quietly. "It wasn't looking good at Hill and they had food. It's not likely there was any food storage here."</p>
<p>"Nope," Brad had to agree.</p>
<p>"But God's kept people alive on nothing and manna before," BillyBoy answered back, seeking the positive even though he was worried. He drew a deep breath for courage, straightened his shoulders, and walked up to the tall golden doors and knocked as loudly as he could. He wasn't sure it would be heard, but deep golden peals of sound echoed in response to his knock. They waited for several minutes, hearts in mouth.</p>
<p>Slowly the large doors swung open on their weighted hinges. Standing in the doorway were three Adventurers and behind them a mixture of Adventurers and Wraiths, although given they looked a little different BillyBoy would have called them spirits. "We've been praying for you to come, and I had a vision of you coming last week, if time is reckoned right from in here," the Adventurer in the front said.</p>
<p>"We've been sent by inspiration to see you're let out, although you have to agree to be kind and live the Gospel like we're supposed to."</p>
<p>"We'll do that," the other agreed. "Is it safe?"</p>
<p>"It is now, at least here. We've still got the rest of the valley south of here to clean up. If you'll come out we'll tell you what we have to say, then move on."</p>
<p>The man shook his head. "We've been told if we step foot out of the temple, we'll die."</p>
<p>"Well," BillyBoy tipped his head and smiled, "that won't be all bad. There's a group that's fighting right now to repair the resurrection cycle. You'll be back rather quickly, but we should tell you what we have to tell you first to help you decide that would be okay."</p>
<p>They taught them from there, then moved back and let those who would, leave the temple. When only the first man was still standing in the doorway, BillyBoy reached out his hand to grip the man's hand. "I promise. I'll close the door behind you and let God keep it locked like he wants it."</p>
<p>The eyes of the man watered. "Thank you."</p>
<p>Matthew closed the off-side door. BillyBoy helped the man cross the threshold and he went up in the bubbles of death of this world. BillyBoy closed the main door and they knew it was locked and only God would open it again if He wanted it to be.</p>
<p>They'd never been able to get into their cities' temples because the doors had been locked. Not against them, but because they'd been blessed with other protections. For this group to have had to be let in and protected by God Himself, they hadn't had the heart to ask why.</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>The pillar of light over the place of protection in downtown Salt Lake City (not in the Adventurer city of Salt Lake - that was a little farther down the mountain), wasn't over Temple Square. It was over the main Catholic Cathedral up the mountain from there.</p>
<p>Looking back down towards Temple Square from there once the Overwritten were taken care of, all they could see was black darkness. They looked at one another with very worried glances. The opening of the Cathedral doors behind them caught their ears, but they couldn't look away.</p>
<p>"Not looking very friendly and open, is it?" a soft voice said from behind them. They could feel the Spirit of God emanating from the person who spoke.</p>
<p>"Why?" Matthew asked, pained.</p>
<p>"Because too many wanted to wrest power in their pride for being the 'only true religion', even here on Theldesia. They forgot what Christ is really all about. When the Second Special came, they refused to even have the People of the Land set foot on the grounds to be protected. We took them in here, along with anyone who needed it, regardless of their professed beliefs."</p>
<p>The Idaho group finally turned around and looked at the person who was speaking to them. He glowed like they did and they bowed their heads, remembering what Purrcy had told them. "God was merciful to us when we showed mercy to the others," BillyBoy agreed. "It's very disheartening to know that so many here forgot that love of fellowman is more important than selfish vanity."</p>
<p>"So many that the few of us who did remember it also couldn't step foot in their domain," another person behind the man who'd spoken first said a bit bitterly. "We were called traitors for believing what God taught us all."</p>
<p>BillyBoy looked at him, then nodded slowly. "Still, forgiveness is also God's will, and we need to forgive them before we can return home to Earth. I will also hope they'll repent and change their ways and help us get there."</p>
<p>"We can go home?" another one asked. The group from Idaho all nodded.</p>
<p>"Please come in and explain," the head of the cathedral group asked. This time, a portion of them did go in to teach the message they brought with them.</p>
<p>-:-:-:-:-</p>
<p>"How will we meet with the Eagles here?" Hue asked hopelessly as they stood looking at Temple Square from as close as they could get.</p>
<p>BillyBoy had been pondering the same thing. "I think it's been cursed with God's cursing. Maybe we can treat it like a dungeon and purify the whole thing?"</p>
<p>The rest thought about that, but didn't answer just then. BillyBoy finally gave a short nod. "We'll come back to it after we've got the rest of the valley fixed up. We'll want to be here at the end anyway."</p>
<p>"Call it the final boss?" Phillip said a bit cynically.</p>
<p>The rest gave small smiles at that. "Yeah," BillyBoy answered.</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>